15strangers | ...we came in?

POOR UNFORTUNATE SOULS

[There's no doubt that those who wake up will vaguely remember a dream.

In that dream, at least for most people, there are two figures, informing them each that they had a Title. With that title came a power. More than that, they were being given rooms, as if they were meant to stay in the dark and gloomy place where their dreams placed them. The Strangers might have found this to be a ridiculous proposition. Unless they have been through this before, then were probably not surprised in the least.

All of this, of course, ended with a sense of inexplicable dread for everyone. Especially when they woke up to find themselves in long, thin, cramped rooms, with only candlelight to give them any illumination.

Yes. Unfortunately, that dream had not been a dream at all, much as you might have hoped. You are here, now, inside an old, decrepit house where you have been given what appears to be a permanent residency. While you apparently have a power to aid you, it's no comfort. You have no option to leave, you have no way to escape, and the rules hammered to your door doesn't help the creeping sense of doom pooling in your stomach.

...

Now.

Where are those two figures that had greeted you to begin with?]

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[Hm. A challenge, then? Franciscus doesn't really want to just duplicate her trick, since he's still not sure he can move fire around that well yet-so instead he creates a small flame that slowly grows, forming into the shape of a flower bud before seeming to unfold, halfway to forming a flower-like shape for a moment before collapsing into shapeless fire again.]

Ah...it seems experience is quite the advantage for you, here. [Though control is also more important for his power than hers, after all.]

[Emma puts her hands together with delight at the little light show. It's not perfect, certainly, but she can see what he's trying to do.]

Heehee... maybe! But you're certainly getting the hang of this yourself!

That's quite a lovely use of it. I don't think I've ever thought to do that, myself.

I was trying to think of a way to tie it back to my original abilities. Though it felt much more unwieldy to shape. But at least I think I'm getting the hang of extinguishing it quickly, should the need arise.

Original abilities? [She tilts her head.] You had magic prior to this?

[He nods.] I'm not sure whether it would count as magic, but I had the ability to make plants grow, which feels like it would be of use here, if that note about not feeding us until Saturday is true.

It's certainly not anything anyone from my world would be able to do naturally.

[Well. Other Hexen witches might, but sssh.]

That does sound like it could be useful, though... ugh. It's not as if I dislike this ability, but I can't help but think they robbed us of things that would actually be useful to us for these.

It's quite natural, for this kind of situation. They can't have their prisoners rebelling so easily, after all.

That's true enough, but really... aren't these powers troubling enough for them? I could flood this whole mansion, if I felt so inclined, or you could set fire to it. Hardly conducive to the rules they've set out before us...

If they've granted them...perhaps they have some way to stifle or restrict these powers better than they would have been able to with our natural ones. [A pause, as he thinks.] And...if I'm right about what they want from us, they probably want us to have the ability to do damage.

Ah... I hadn't considered that...

[The ability to restrict the powers, anyway. It would make sense, though. If they already dragged them all here across worlds, who's to say where their power stops?

The last bit gets Emma to widen her eyes a little in surprise, though.]

What is it that you think they want from us?

To murder each other, for some twisted reason. [His voice is quiet as he describes it.] They'll paint it as the only way to escape, or provide extra threats and incentives to drive people to kill for other reasons.

[What does one even say to that?

Emma, for her part, just looks rightfully horrified, her hands coming to cover her mouth.]

[It was going to come up eventually...]

I've...seen it happen before. Someone always falls for the motives, one way or another. Whether it's being convinced to act, or being lured into situations where accidents can happen... [Cartesio had literally zero self-defense murders but he's pretty sure those would count too.]

Wh... why? What's the purpose of making us play a sick game like this...?!

[She doesn't really seem to expect Franciscus to answer, more mumbling to herself as she looks down. It's as if she's frantically trying to make sense of all of this in her own head, but... good luck with that, Emma.]

[Would she like an awkward shoulder pat? He can offer an awkward shoulder pat.] The last place like this...it involved an attempt to rebuild a damaged world gone badly wrong. Though those rules don't quite suggest that's the case here.

[She will accept the awkward shoulder pat.]

Certainly not... it sounds more like we're here to appease some insane goddess, if I'm honest.

[Not like she's ever put much stake in those before, being an Actual Witch and all, but listen. It's hard to take "praise Our Lady in the sanctum" any other way.]

Perhaps one whose worship rituals require some manner of blood sport, then. [It makes a horrible amount of sense.]

Ugh... how awful...

But then again, it's not as if we know for certain. We can't know until our "hosts" are so generous as to clue us in... although who knows if the real answer will be better or worse.

[He nods.] Right...though it seems they do want us to be trapped here, so I doubt a better answer would really feel "better" in this case...

That's true enough...

[This is just terrible. What are they going to do...]

[He sighs.] I didn't mean to cause you undue worry. We probably shouldn't speculate overly much when we haven't even met our captors yet.

[To that, at least, she shakes her head quickly.]

Don't apologize. It's probably better to have some idea what we might be in for going in. Being caught off guard by this at their mercy would be worse.

[He nods.] I suppose all that's left is to wait for their summons, for now. I might explore the rest of this place while we await that, at least.

Mm.

That's probably not a bad idea. For now, though, I think I'd just like to stay here and get a grip on my power. If this is all I have, I may as well master it as soon as I can.

[He nods, waving a little.] I'll see you around, then. Perhaps by then we'll be able to boil water together.

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