WEEK 1

[strangerpeople]

WEEK 1

[Awaken.

Fifteen strangers have been gathered to the Depths.

When the strangers awaken, they will feel nauseous in their stomachs. No doubt confused. Maybe a little sick, Perhaps, even terrified. And certainly, there is a good reason for it - they are not where they were before. If they had powers back where they came from, they seem to be all gone. And it appears that someone has left...guidelines for them. All of them addressed to a specific Title.

Their Title. Somehow, each person knows, upon seeing this, this is their Title, even if it seems to make no sense whatsoever. And its clear that whoever wrote these things knew it as well. Who was it?

Its uncertain. So far, there seems to be no one else save for them, and those who dare to venture out of their rooms - save, for some reason, the individuals in rooms 1, 8 and 7 - in this hot and stuffy place. No...'intercessor' to be seen yet, certainly. No outward signs that there's anyone else aside from the people with 'Titles'.


So, Titled: welcome.

There are fifteen strangers in this place.]

Comments

[lightnen]

[ Hallway ]

[ Waking up somewhere without prior warning was definitely not something high up on Killua's list of things he'd ever experienced before and that was saying a lot.

Frowning a bit when he sat up to survey his room, it took no more than 30 seconds to give it a once over before exhaling a sigh and hopping off the bed. That was when he realized that he wasn't wearing the clothes he'd been wearing when he went to register for the Hunter's Exam, and he was the only one here. Which was even stranger as it was, plus something just seemed off to him in a way that he couldn't explain.

Had someone messed with his body somehow?

That thought made him bristle, eyes narrowing as he raised a hand and scowled when he realized it didn't do what he wanted with it. Which meant him walking out into the hallway outside his room and staring down both sides before walking over to a patch of wall not occupied by the rooms. Clenching his hand into a fist, he turned and let loose a punch to the wall, figuring it'd do to let him out but instead his only warning was a flash of intense heat that had him quickly pulling back his hand in time for a small wave of flame to have moved along the wall and away from where he'd punched it, hairline cracks in the cement where his fist had made initial contact. ]

What is with this stupid place?!

[ Once top of this it's clear that his knuckles are sporting a nice burn on them and he just doesn't look too happy about this now. ]


[ Dining Hall ]

[ After his fiasco know the halls, Killua has taken up sitting in the dining room, tossing a cup up into the air and catching it with one hand while trying not to use his burned one, pouting a little in the midst of his thoughts.

He may look deep in thought but he's acutely aware of everything going on around him and who may be coming in. So even if he looks like he's just a kid.. well he's not just that.

It wouldn't hurt if someone did come and talk to him though as he looks a bit bored to say the least. ]

[ Kitchen]

[ Now in a better mood than before, he's taken to exploring things and eventually finds his way here, looking around and poking at some of the kill hanging up before catching someone coming in and he sighed and turned to face them with his hands in his pockets. ]

...So do you understand any of what's going on here? It's really weird and kinda... creepy in here.

[ Considering his family? This was kinda saying something if it remotely classified as "creepy" to him ]

Kitchen

[poorlovefool]

I don't understand any of this...

[By this point Eric mostly looks nervous. Though, he makes a face at the killed animals the kid is poking.]

God, are those real? That's disgusting.

[lightnen]

How so?

[ Killua just looks over at Eric as if nothing was wrong, not even cringing or seeming bothered by the dead animals or why the other would seem bothered by it.

Then again this was a kid who's seen and done much, MUCH worse in his short life so far, so this was nothing. ]

It's just dead animals. It's essentially our food here and we'll have to cook them if we want to survive.

[poorlovefool]

Yeah, I get that's what it's supposed to be, but it's... weird? The sickos could have gotten prepared meat anywhere.

[LIKE THE STORE? He does not believe that they are actually back in history, so just go to the damn store]

Instead they had to kill some cute bunnies fresh just for, I dunno, atmosphere or something. I don't get why there's this over the top medieval theme to begin with... I feel sorry for them.

[Honestly the over empathizing is probably a sign of stress getting to him early.]

[lightnen]

[ Does he even listen to himself here? 'cute bunnies'?

That's enough to make Killua raise an eyebrow and stare somewhat blankly at him before exhaling a sigh and his lips curled into something of a subtle sneer. This man was already losing it, wasn't he? ]

I doubt feeling sorry for them is going to do anything. They likely have everything set up like this for a reason.

[ Killua raised a hand up to poke at one of the dead rabbits without even so much as blinking. ]

They're not for atmosphere. Trust me. There could be worse things strewn up here on hooks so at least these are edible.

[poorlovefool]

[Well, Killua is right about all of that, but that doesn't mean he has to like it. He doesn't like that smirk of his either, of course. Why are all of the kids here so suspicious?]

Worse things... what are you imagining?

[lightnen]

[ He just shrugs, putting his hands into the pockets of his shorts as if they were having nothing more than a casual conversation about the weather. ]

They could have put bodies up here, or something rotting. To drive their point across here of what they want us to do.

Hallway

[carries_war]

[Since realizing his standard URTV powers are nullified, Rubedo has been trying and failing to call up the fire of the Red Dragon. Now that he's thoroughly convinced that even the Red Dragon Drive is nullified...he sees this. His surprise shows in his tone, if not his face.]

How did you do that?

[lightnen]

[ There's only a moment before Killua turned his attention to the other boy, a bit of an annoyed look written all over his face. It was one thing to somehow remove a fraction of his normal strength and limiting what he could do, but another to have the damn walls burn him like that. ]

...I tried seeing if I could put a hole in the wall. THAT happened all on it's own. Try it yourself if you don't believe me.

[ He's just kind of in a sour mood there, Rubedo. It's nothing you did or anything. ]

[carries_war]

[He turns to face the wall, tries once again to call up his fire, and punches the wall as hard as he can. This is a kid who very clearly knows how to throw a punch, but no fire.]

...That hurt.

[He sounds surprised by the fact that punching a stone wall hurt his hand...]

And it's just the same as the last dozen times I tried to make fire.

[lightnen]

[ WHAT? Did this guy seriously just do what he told him to?

On top of that, there was nothing that burned him but... maybe that was because this boy's punch didn't remotely damage the wall like his punch had. Not that it stopped him from being completely taken aback from what the other'd done to start with. ]

...You're saying you can actually make fire all on your own?

[ Wait that's not important here. ]

Of course it's going to hurt when you hit the wall, though. It's supposed to.

[carries_war]

[Never underestimate a URTV desperate to get his powers working again. He looks at his knuckles, a little scraped up and definitely going to be bruised.]

If I had my powers. But none of them are working here.

...I guess that's why punching the wall hurt, too. It doesn't, normally.

[lightnen]

[ Looks down to his own slightly burned knuckles and then over to the other boy's before his gaze casts over to the wall where he'd punched it. There was a couple small cracks in the cement but that felt entirely disappointing in the long run when he thought about it. ]

Yeah? They've done something to me, too. If I had my usual strength, I could have put a hole in the wall...

[ Priorities. Killua has them. ]

Dining Hall/Kitchen

[bythewaves]

[ A child.

Maglor's thoughts are dark and thoroughly uncomplientary towards their captors, although his face betrays none of that, watching Killua play with the cup. Eventually, he gets up and moves over to the kitchen, poking at the equipment thoughtfully before he begins to make something. Killua will probably note he skins and guts the animals with the ease of someone who has done this thousands of times before, despite the old scars on his hands.

Eventually, he will bring a bowl of rabbit stew over and set it near Killua, before retreating a little with his own bowl. ]

Best you keep your strength up.

[lightnen]

[ When people looked at him, indeed the first thing they did was see him as no more than a child that needed protecting. Whatever twist of fate that had brought him here definitely had a sense of humor as he did seem to be the physically youngest here and was surrounded mostly by adults of some kind and everything was just so... medieval.

Nothing modern. It was a far cry from what he was used to.

When the older man had entered the room, it hadn't stopped Killua from continuing to toss the cup up and catching it once it came down in an almost rhythmic action. He was well aware of the man's presence and he very nearly asked what he wanted before he seemed to get up and move into the kitchen. He was probably just making something for himself and so it didn't really seem like something he should be paying much attention to... or he wouldn't have if he hadn't glanced over at one point to catch a glimpse of what was going on.

Something about the man's movements seem to come with ease; the air of someone who'd done this several times before and had picked up on it like one did with breathing the air around them. It was something interesting he noted in the back of his mind, setting down the cup onto the table with a finger touching against the rim absently until he realized the man from before had come over and placed something near him which had him blinking a couple of times because it was inherently obvious he'd actually made a stew of some sort and had brought him some as well. ]

That doesn't sound like a bad idea.

[ Almost spoken like an afterthought, he had to admit the man had a point. Who knew what they could expect in this place and keeping his strength up was an absolute must in case he needed to defend himself. Though he did carefully pull the bowl over so it was more in front of him, the smell more appetizing than he'd first thought. ]

Thanks. I know you didn't have to share it with me, but it's still nice of you to have done so.

[ There's a fleeting, faint smile in place but otherwise he seems entirely laid back and chill about this, even as he made to take a few bites of the stew and his expression perked up noticeably. ]

T-This is really good!

[bythewaves]

[ When he smiles he looks younger ]

It would be rude to not share. [ He says simply and is clearly pleased by Killua's reaction ]

I am glad you like it. It is only a simple recipe - but simple things work the best, at times.

[lightnen]

Yeah, but i'm used to people who are so it wouldn't have bothered me if you hadn't.

[ It's a blunt thing to say but it doesn't negate that he is thankful for the food now and is eager to take in a few more spoonfuls of the stew in the meantime. He's never really ever eaten rabbit before but it's actually really quite good but maybe it was also this man's recipe that made it just so. ]

This is true. You actually know how to cook and I get that's gonna be useful around here pretty soon, I think.

[bythewaves]

[ A flash of ire in Maglor's eyes, but his voice reveals nothing of that ]

Then they were very rude indeed.

[ A wry smile ] It is not so hard. At least they provide us with fuel and food, here. Better than having to scrounge for my own supper and beg a few dry branches from the trees. It might almost be my brother's fortress, long ago, if not for the obvious problems. [ Such as the lack of exit ]

[lightnen]

[ Killua just nods and leaves it mostly at that because he's not willing to divulge the reason behind why some people had been rude to him to start with. He's content with quietly eating the stew until Maglor speaks up again, to which it's sparked his curiosity some. ]

Your brother had an actual fortress? Was he some kinda military figure or something?

Dining Hall

[socialhacktivist]

[...huh? What was this kid doing here? Sure she wasn't more than two or three years older probably, but-- that's a lot when you consider the stuff that's going on here.

...on top of that, he's injured??? He looks like he's taking this way too casually. Just what kind of stuff has this kid seen in his life...?]

Woah-- what happened to your hand?!

[lightnen]

[ If only she actually knew the stuff he'd been put through while growing up and what he'd done that'd had a part in who he was now. Let alone that she was actually looking at the face of a kid who'd ended more than a couple of lives all on his own.

Not that his appearance would ever give this away, however. Most people just assumed he was this harmless kid who they could hurt or end up using, not knowing what he was thinking and even now was technically no different. He was on edge and wary of everyone here with good reason.

Though it didn't mean he had to be mean or anything, catching the cup after a toss into the air before holding up his burnt hand. The damage wasn't anything worse than some light 1st degree burns and partly why he was in such a bad mood, and centered around his knuckles more or less. ]

...The stupid walls in this place is what happened. Don't try to hit or damage them.

[ Still not happy with this, okay. ]

[socialhacktivist]

...whaaat?! Just because you hit the wall?

[Jeez. If they couldn't even hope to break out of this place what were they supposed to do? But it's certainly worth knowing. It'll make her think twice before planning anything reckless at least.]

How is that even supposed to work?

[STILL FRUSTRATING.]

I guess brute force isn't going to get us out of here...

[lightnen]

Yeah. It's a little extreme if you ask me. They REALLY don't want us getting out of here or damaging this place at all.

[ His gaze falls to his burned knuckles with annoyance clear, the pain not really enough to bother him; not when it's tied to a much bigger picture in his mind. ]

Doesn't look like it, no. Though that's not what bugs me. [ It takes a moment or two but he looks up to Futaba, head canting to the side amidst a rather serious look on his face as he regards her. ] I think they've all messed with us somehow. Something feels wrong and I can't utilize the strength I want to, and what I know I have.

[socialhacktivist]

[Yeah, that she can understand. Without her phone, she can't check-- or use-- the Nav, much less her Persona. Admittedly she feels really uneasy without it. What if she couldn't use her Persona anymore even if she got her phone back? That kind of thing occurred to her... and it was scary. She needed it. Or else she'd never be able to avenge her mother.]

Our memories... our strength... what's next?

[...don't answer that. She doesn't want to know.]

[lightnen]

[ The part where she mentioned 'memories' made him hesitate, really honestly wondering what that was about. Could the ones that brought them here actually be capable of altering people's memories? If that was true then the possibility of his own memory being altered was quite high. ]

Hopefully nothing else but I guess time will tell eventually.

[ His gaze raises up to look at her once more. ]

...I'm Killua, by the way. I figure if we're stuck here we should at least know each other's names.