[UMINEKO SPOILERS] Heart (Scored) - Merlot

[damedana]

The story ends as such:
"when the seagulls cried, none were left alive"...

But this isn't such a sad story.

This is a story about love.

Comments

A Room

[damedana]

For a moment, it's dark. You can't see anything around you but you know that you are in a room. A room with four walls, a ceiling, and a firm floor you stand atop. The sounds of a lock being thrown, of chains rustling through the space are really the only things that give you any hint as to how big the space is before a cold metal locks firmly around your throat. Reaching up to your neck, however, reveals nothing is actually there. You can't feel it with your hands, just by the weight of it settled right against the skin when you breathe or swallow. Only once that weight's in place does the room illuminate--

It's a bedroom. Or rather, a guestroom. A western styled guestroom with two beds, a nightstand, and wardrobe sitting out on the floor. There are windows on one of the walls, doors on two other walls. One leads to a bathroom with a toilet, sink, and tub with shower head. The other is the exit, locked as evident by the chain lock firmly in place on the door.

You know instinctively: <in order to get to your goal, you must find a way out of this room>.

Fortunately, it's a pretty comfortable room. The sun is streaming in through the window, illuminating it in a pretty cheerful atmosphere--if not for the ominous clouds in the distance. And the purple thorny vines pressing into the room through the cracks of the window's framing. But the room's so comfortable, surely there's no real problem or need to rush…

1st Exit

[damedana]

The moment the chain lock is removed, the door swings open without issue. The lights flicker. The sound of chains moving echo in the room again, and you can feel the weight on your throat get heavier, the pressure tightening. Reaching up to your neck still reveals nothing is physically there.

You exit the room. Whether you intend to just now or not, there's not really an option. There's a pull against your neck, the invisible collar attached to an invisible leash. The sound of chains is so loud as you're dragged forward--you made this choice to continue, you chose to go further and deeper, and it's getting difficult to breathe.

The lights go off again. You can't see anything. But you know you're now in another room.

Re: A Room

[todineonthecorpse]

[hands at his throat, briefly, then he sighs.]

Really, it's no wonder I'm just a melodramatic twit. I must've inherited that from you ... my father.

[taking in the room, calmly. it reminds him of Echo's. and of course deciding to investigate those vines, first.]

Vines, hm .... if there are cracks in the windowframe large enough for such vines to fit through, is the window really secure enough it can't be forced loose?

Re: A Room

[damedana]

The window is perfectly sturdy and secure.

Re: A Room

[todineonthecorpse]

Ah, of course, the window is, because you mean the glass, right? - but what about the frame in which the window sits?

A Room

[damedana]

It's a bedroom. Or rather, a guestroom. A western styled guestroom with two beds, a nightstand, and wardrobe sitting out on the floor. There are windows on one of the walls, doors on two other walls. One leads to a bathroom with a toilet, sink, and tub with shower head. The other is the exit, locked as evident by the chain lock firmly in place on the door.

You know instinctively: <in order to get to your goal, you must find a way out of this room>

Unlike the previous room, however, there seems to be a growing clutter of objects strewn around the room, as if quickly stashed into the space without real thought to their places. A pile of casserole dishes that seems to have claimed a corner, some swords propped against a wall, a lute next to the first bed, a sharpened stick with a wet tip on the floor, a notebook with a feather quill left on the nightstand, some tarot cards left strewn underneath the notebook, a flower crown dangling on the curtains' rod, a dragon plush that seems to be staring at you ready to spring to life at a moment's notice half under second bed, with a bird-like monster with a witch hat laying right next to it.

Probably there are more things under the beds but you might be distracted by what's on them, instead: a collar hanging on the bedframe of the first bed, a red dress crumpled and thrown carelessly onto the first bed, a gun's holster that's half on the nightstand and half falling onto a pillow of the second bed.

Fortunately, the room is still… fairly comfortable. The sun has been swallowed up by the dark clouds rolling in. Outside, the wind is picking up, causing trees and flowers to sway harshly in its grip. The low rumbles of thunder in the distance signals the arrival of the storm, reverberating throughout the room, bringing some unease and foreboding to the heart.

The purple thorny vines pressing into the room through the cracks of the window's framing have spread even further, creeping along the walls. You want to think everything will be fine, you'll fix things and get out of this intact and with no one the wiser that there was ever a problem, but steadily, the doubt creeps in…

2nd Exit

[damedana]

The moment the chain lock is removed, the door swings open without issue. The lights flicker. The sound of chains moving echo in the room again, and you can feel the weight on your throat get heavier, the pressure tightening. Reaching up to your neck still reveals nothing is physically there.

You exit the room. Whether you intend to just now or not, there's not really an option. There's a harsh pull against your neck, the invisible collar attached to an invisible leash. The sound of chains is so deafening as you're dragged forward--you made this choice to continue, you chose to go further and deeper, you chose to lose those precious seconds to get air and start to choke. You're running out of time. At this rate....

The lights go off again. You can't see anything. But you know you're now in another room.

Re: A Room

[todineonthecorpse]

[oh hey, swords. Merlot knows some swordfighting (putting it mildly, but he wouldn't brag like that, now would he?), so of course he has to distract himself pretending to be some sort of faux-chivalric knight for a minute, defending the helpless ... which even he knows is horseshit, but it makes him seem more likable if he pretends, doesn't it.]

Yes, yes - I'll solve this in a minute, I'm sure -

Re: A Room

[damedana]

Enjoy Elliot trying to use magic swords on someone magic can't lock onto.

Ushiromiya Battler knows he and Elliot Nightray are too damn similar.

Re: A Room

[todineonthecorpse]

... h-hahaaaaa .... so it's not only Yuzu who annoys that boy so spectacularly. Still, I have to agree with her. Ushiromiya Battler has better hair than Elliot Nightray, for certain.

Still ... I hope you don't mind if I hold onto this sword, Battler-papa. It's ... cute.

[so is that flower crown, which he is also going to put on, because he decidedly did not learn the lesson from the sword, or perhaps he just isn't worried about it.]

A... Room

[damedana]

It's a bedroom. Or rather, a guestroom. A western styled guestroom with two beds, a nightstand where an old turn-style phone sits, a dresser, a table with a basket of candy sitting on it and a couple of chairs pushed under, and wardrobe sitting out on the floor. There are windows on one of the walls, doors on two other walls. One leads to a bathroom with a toilet, sink, and tub with shower head. The other is the exit, locked as evident by the chain lock firmly in place on the door.

You know instinctively: <in order to get to your goal, you must find a way out of this room>

That might prove to be a little difficult when the room you're standing in the middle of is covered in blood. Puddles of the red substance pooling in various locations throughout the room. It looks just like a crime scene of some mass murder--including a dried out corpse sitting cozily on a bed--y'know. If there wasn't streamers in black and orange spelling out HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

What a relief, it's just a Halloween party.

Except there are words written in that same red substance on the wall where the purple thorny vines have spread to, covering some of the words with loops and curls that seem to resemble letters of their own:

They owed their fortunes to the Golden Witch.
They were cursed by their own greed.
The culAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

It's uncomfortable. The darkness growing deeper outside as the wind howls and the rain can be heard beginning to fall, the backdrop to this scene that you don't want to believe is real, know is real, can't accept as real, forced to remember always as the reality--you don't want to be here, you don't want to be here! The feeling of someone, or something watching in through the windows, taking such delight in the scene before you, is oppressing and you know that the only way to escape it is to leave the room.

3rd Exit

[damedana]

The moment the chain lock is removed, the door swings open without issue. The lights flicker. The sound of chains moving echo in the room again, and you can feel the weight on your throat get heavier, the pressure tightening. Reaching up to your neck still reveals nothing is physically there.

You exit the room. Whether you intend to just now or not, there's not really an option. There's a strangling pull against your neck, the invisible collar attached to an invisible leash. The sound of chains is a roar of noise--blood thrumming in your ears, as you're dragged forward.

You made this choice to continue.

You chose to go further and deeper.

You chose to lose those precious seconds to get air and start to choke.

You're running out of time. At this rate…

You're reaching, desperately grabbing hold--

You lose your grip.

You gasp for air even when you know you shouldn't.

You can't breathe.

Your eyes sting.

Your lungs and throat burn.

You're screaming her name.

There's no sound at all.

The lights go off again. You can't see anything. But you know you're now in another room. And you can breathe just fine.

/2

[todineonthecorpse]

[Merlot, for his part, is still in a State from the last thing that he experienced in that last room, which is why he just puts a finger to his lips and shoves his mouth open in a gasp, other hand at his throat, sword clattering beside him, as he inhales, inhales, inhales.]

[and then, in a voice that's not nearly enough of a whisper, he whines:]

Oh, please, daddy - please - harder next time -

Re: A... Room

[todineonthecorpse]

[but eventually he has to collect himself, right, and actually focus his eyes on the horrid tableau before him.]

Well. What a sight this is ... fortunately, I do like eating sweet things while I think.

[and so, taking some of that candy.]

Re: A... Room

[damedana]

You like happy memories of a 9 year old handing out candy to the family during her trick-or-treats, right--?

Oh, no wait.

It's now this scene.

Ushiromiya Maria loved to hand out candy in the trick-or-treats during the family convention. Ushiromiya Battler always thought it was cute. would also like to shove candy down people's throats until they burst.

A... Room...?

[damedana]

It's a bedroom. Or rather, a guestroom. A western styled guestroom with purple thorny vines covering everything, making it impossible to really engage with any of it except for one of the beds and the wardrobe closet. It's all so difficult to make out, but what's impossible to mistaken is that this room is for a specific purpose, a specific reason, and those vines are digging into the walls, the floor, anywhere they can get to take root there. Twisting, distorting things to suit their needs. They're growing in from the window where it's pitch black out, the rain pounding hard against the glass while the wind howls and shrieks. Staring out for too long, you can almost swear there is a pair of eyes staring back at you from the deepest of the night.

There's a thrill of horror down your spine because you know instinctively: <the witch is out there, watching, waiting, grinning madly wondering what you'll do.>

You also know instinctively: <there is a murderer coming for this room in particular, and if you do not hide, you will die>.


((You have 10 comments from each person (minus runner) to pick a place to hide. Do what you will within that time frame or perish :) ))

Remember...?

[damedana]

There's the clattering sound of chains, more as though they're dropping to the ground.

Finally, the oppressing pressure at your throat is gone.

You can breathe again.

You're freed from whatever that nightmare was.

You vow to never go back to it.

But there is a metal collar and chains laying before you, the silver metal glittering in an unseen light, sending fragments of light into an otherwise empty space.

Do you take them with you? (Each individual running must make a choice.)

Re: Remember...?

[todineonthecorpse]

Coward. Either keep them on me or let me be free.

[he leaves them where they are. besides, he prefers prettier collars than this.]

Bed

[damedana]

You scramble under the bed just as the door is forced open, the sound of tape separating giving away the reason you could not leave this room on your own even if you wanted to, even if you tried everything within your own power.

Ah, that's right, you remember.

You chose this, too.

The footsteps draw closer and closer.

Even when you hold your breath, you already know this choice was a bad one.

The sheets are turned over. You're lumpy thing is left exposed.

"Iiiiiiiiiiiii~ fooooooooooooouuuuwwwnd~ yooooo--eh?"

The excitement and elation of her victory distorted her words, but it goes into confusion the moment the owner of the feminine voice realizes that the body in the bed is a fake.

And then the entire bed is flipped over.

A girl with a large blue scythe has just flipped the entire ass bed you're hiding under. She does not look pleased to have been briefly duped even for the briefest of moments, either, knuckles white in how she clutches onto the scythe.

"You...!"

Re: Bed

[todineonthecorpse]

[why does her face look so familiar. more importantly, why is this hot. he's not the one who gets turned on by the thought of his own annihilation ...]

Well, I suppose you are cleverer than I thought you'd be, milady - but are you really so sure there's no one in the wardrobe after all?

[it's worth a try.]

Re: A... Room...?

[todineonthecorpse]

Ghhh. Guh.

.... tempted ... to wait for her ... you know. Since you can't seem to bother to finish.

[but he's not the part of the inheritance that craves dying. so. he's lunging for the closet, and flinging it open - but his eyes are already looking to the bed, as a backup plan - is there enough room, despite the vines, to become a monster under the bed?]

Re: A... Room...?

[damedana]

There is enough room under the bed.

There's also plenty of room in the closet.

Both are options, for sure.

Rokkenjima

[damedana]

This time, you truly are in a different room. A study of some kind with bookshelves full of esoteric and arcane texts and trinkets. Occult figures and objects lay scattered about the room. A stately desk sits in the middle of the room with papers scattered all over it as if someone has torn through it looking for something. A chessboard sits on a smaller table off to the side, a chair behind each side--white appears to be in check with the black's knight cornering the king. Probably most noticeably is the portrait of a familiar blonde woman smiling smugly down from her position of influence over the room.

You can already tell this is only one room in a much bigger estate.

And it smells so bad. One can be forgiven if they don't recognize the scent, but those familiar with death may recognize it as the smell of long decay being hopelessly masked behind something stronger.

There is only one way out of this room: a door with a scorpion charm embossed onto its golden knob.

You also have a terrible, terrible pulsating headache.

Re: Rokkenjima

[todineonthecorpse]

Ow. Big Sister Erika didn't handle me gently at all ...

[immediately distracted by the portrait, of course. and the smell.]

So now we arrive at something like "the Truth" of things, I take it? But none of that purple pulsing vein here ... unless it's now up here [he says, tapping his own head] somehow, and that's the headache, actually ...

Re: Rokkenjima

[damedana]

None purple veins here, just a smelly occult office.

Debatable why the headache--could be Erika just made good on her "to the hilt" promise.