pawnstorm | INTRO ♚ FEBRUARY

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INTRO ♚ FEBRUARY

WELCOME TO CAISSA

We’ve all had those dreams: you wake up on a table, to blurry, ominous images and the certainty that you are absolutely buck-naked in a room full of strangers. This is not quite it.

Instead, you come awake to the sun on your face. The soft burble of water nearby. The hustle and bustle of a busy street and the faint, fortifying smell of bread. You open your eyes and there’s no one there at your bedside, but there is what appears to be the end of the world happening just beyond your window.

There’s a crack in the world across the sky, the “sun” is the totally unnatural light spilling from that crack straight into your eyes, and someone’s left a neatly pressed and folded uniform at the foot of the bed that isn’t yours. Somewhere in the room, there’s a strange clatter like beads, the click of claws on the floor.

Something’s in here with you.

Also, you are naked.

ONE ♟ Settling In

Welcome to Blanc! You wake up on one of the beds inside the Hall of Glory. You might still be feeling a little light-headed, but sudden dimensional travel will do that to a body. You could have sworn visions of a fantastic world flashed before your eyes not long ago: monsters, magic, and a mission to save the world. You can't quite recall much beyond the basics, but could this be it?

Save your questions for later! The room nannies are quick to urge Heroes into their uniforms (with their beaks if necessary) and to point them to the pick-up locations for their Blanc-issued Weapons and Carriers. Hopefully, nobody but the pigeon’s watching you change. On the other hand, maybe you're the type to turn every roommate into a new friend before you even step foot outside the room.

As you make your way down the halls, you might notice strangely familiar faces around you. But don’t linger too long to chat—the people in charge of the armory and the menagerie have gone through many Heroes before you, and still have many more to go after you. NPCs need meal breaks, too! If you don’t make a decision in time, the random Weapons and/or Carriers they pick for you can be just a little odd.

And if you’re hungry? No matter how rich you were in your homeworld, you’re penniless now until you earn some colle. Thankfully, the Hall of Glory provides free meals to Heroes and those associated with them! Sunday’s breakfast and lunch are bananalicious and seafood pasta. A friendly visiting scholar may have a word of advice for you: “Beware the dining hall on Mondays.”

But you’ll barely have time for lunch before guards come and round you up. “For the parade,” is the only reason they’ll give you.

TWO ♟ Welcome Celebrations

Trumpets sound, cymbals clang and the crowd roars as the parade gets underway! What’s all the fuss about? Well, you Heroes were sent by the gods to save Blanc, right? Of course they’d celebrate! Smiling and waving at the citizens of Caissa from your uniquely crafted float might be a chore, but hey, they love you. Are you really going to let them down, or lose the spotlight to the fellow Heroes sharing your float?

The reception after the Prime Minister’s speech is like some kind of idol session, with Caissa citizens coming up to shake hands and welcome the Heroes warmly. Some are even asking for autographs!

There’s a lot of things to do in festive and lively Caissa, even late into the night under a light fall of snow. Sparrow Town is all lit up, ready for another festival next week.

While some shops are closed for the holiday, others have buffet tables or are giving out free samples to the Heroes. The food stalls here are way better than the bizarre cafeteria menu at the Hall of Glory! Why waste the opportunity to finally gorge on real food? The shop owners have done their best to impress, showing off their local cuisines proudly along the city streets: from the local hamburger joint to the exotic L'adderan curries, you'll find a little of everything to whet your palate. Your growling stomach will likely thank you for the food. … Oh, wait. That wasn’t you? You think the fish sandwich on your plate just sang? Nonsense. That just means you had a marvelous piece of fish bread. Please remember to visit them again sometime when you have the colle, okay?

Various stalls with games and activities have also been set up. Maybe you can impress the crowd by nailing an apple with an arrow or by sacrificing your friend(s) at the water tanks! An unusual Go-style stall offers something like fish scooping, but be careful: touching the fish with your bare hands will leave you feeling funny… Wow, you’ve never seen that color before! But whatever it takes to impress the children, right?

Said children might try and get you to dance in the falling snow. Better not mess up, though, because everyone in Caissa seems to be watching.

THREE ♟ The Day After

Hopefully, you didn’t sleep too late after yesterday’s celebrations! Or maybe you slept badly, since it felt like something was watching you…

The free breakfast that awaits you at the dining hall is… something special. Please enjoy it to your heart’s content! Remember: no food fights, and leave no leftovers! Nothing will save you from the chef’s disapproving mustache swirl if you do!

If you want to make money (to get away from Monday’s Horrors), there are now jobs up for taking at the Hall of Glory and the Poisoned Pawn! If there’s nothing to your taste, check back again every so often. Something new might pop up!

Heroes not in the mood to be errand-runners (it’s understandable, you’re Heroes after all!) can hang out in the parlor, read in the library, or express yourself in one of the Hall’s many studios or other rooms.

If lying back and taking it slow isn’t your thing, you could train or spar! Being summoned to a new world takes a toll on the body, and some Heroes have lost abilities familiar to them. Besides, it’ll take a while to get used to your weapons. Some of them might even be disobedient, backfiring at worst and unresponsive at best. Try not to hit your fellow Heroes (including yourself), or you’ll either have to find enough Heroes to cast weak healing spells or carry the wounded to the infirmary. While the snow has been cleared overnight, it’s still very cold!

INFO ♟ Welcome!

Welcome to Crosscheck's grand opening log! For any further questions, please see the FAQ or reach us at the Contact Us page. Have fun!

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[ At one point, maybe, she would freely admit to being afraid, or entertain the idea. She didn't like to discuss or even think about it, those years ago. While Alice is in the dark she sneers at the question. She would simply wave it off as nothing more than a situation of morals. It was partially true; women and men were kept separately from each other in her culture. Alice was a bit more independent than most women her age, but that didn't mean she didn't really feel comfortable with them. ]

I've already said it. It's not customary or right that a woman be housed with men.

[ As if she was going to verbally admit to being uncomfortable with them or that it did bother her that much. ]

[She doesn't say it, but Gilgamesh manages to guess anyway.]

You must hail from a conservative era. There was no such luxury in my time; men and women labored equally alongside one another, laid down together. It was not uncommon to share rooms when the quarters were often so small. Here, however...

[Here, Gilgamesh suspects it's simply done as a humbling gesture. Not that it worked in his case as he'd given his other roommates a piece of his mind shortly after he'd argued with Alice, and he liked it no more than before, but now that he has space to think it over he can see the logic behind it.

Gilgamesh makes it to his bed without incident and considers it a victory. He continues to peer at her, however, and she will find his eyes almost seem to glow in the dark.]

We are at least in agreement. I do not care for these arrangements, either.

Just don't come near me.

[ Sure, Victorian England was definitely conservative and Alice found some customs overbearing, even suffocating. Women were frowned upon if they didn't have some companionship of the sort while walking around the streets of London. A lot of women her age were married if they weren't working, they were meant to be dutiful house wives. Neither of these things appealed to Alice and yet, Alice couldn't help but feel revolution for her current situation.

All of it, compounded with the drastic change was overwhelming. She just felt the need to reiterate that and would do it, frequently, to each and every one of them. Even in the darkness, she surveyed her surroundings, looking for ways to offer up privacy for herself. ]

If I had it my way, I wouldn't share a room.

I've no reason to do so.

[Especially not with that blade out in the open. It didn't get there by accident, he knows. It's a sign of her distrust and a warning against approach. Alice needn't worry; as it stands, Gilgamesh won't come close, if only selfishly for his own safety.

Honestly, as if a girl could do much damage to him. Then again, it's best not to risk it.]

Perhaps you should speak with that commander. He may rearrange you.

[They had enough problems as it was between the men. Adding a woman, a volatile one at that, to the situation certainly didn't help.]

[ "So everyone says" she almost adds. An omission of that would be too much personal information to a stranger, something that she isn't prepared to do. Slowly, she shifts into a somewhat more relaxed position, still with the sword sitting on her lap, both hands on it now. At least her carrier takes it as a sign to perch itself beside the bed. It's not a good enough response for Alice, but she'll take his suggestion to heart quietly as possible.

She's thankful that they didn't see her in the nude, she made it out before any of them did. That had to be the most frightening experience to her, to be in the most vulnerable state she could be in. This would mean it would take quite some time before Alice could ever feel comfortable again. After her experiences in London, she wasn't prepared to be surrounded by any of them.

She wanted to go back to sleep, but her green eyes wouldn't really break contact with him, almost daring him to budge. ]

If you don't like it, why haven't you done so already?

[ She asks mostly in curiosity. ]

[And budge Gilgamesh does. He's feeling comfortable enough now to begin taking off his boots, and if she causes a ruckus over that much then she really will seem like a child. Slowly but surely, they'll have to get accustomed to sharing the space. Because even as he made the suggestion, he suspected it would not be granted. Not for something so trivial.]

I've already claimed this as my space. I won't be the one to move first.

[So it's a matter of stubbornness, and so Alice may have met her match in that regard. His boots hit the floor, and his coat soon follows. He pauses, lifting the edges of his shirt—will she panic? He glances uneasily back over at her, questioning.]

...in exchange for "don't come near me", I might ask you not going stabbing us in our sleep for stripping our clothes.

[Maybe he can get away with it. Maybe not. It's worth a try.]

[ Alice won't have any of it; she immediately throws a blanket over herself, and burrows, letting out a deep sigh. It was still too much, her mind kept returning back to the Moorsgate Station. Yes, of course she'd panic, because she was she was too modest and wouldn't look at man like that or wanted to see them nude. She'd huddle herself underneath blankets tightly, still holding on the sword as means of security.

It might have looked ridiculous, but she didn't care. She didn't care if they just saw her underneath a bundle of blankets or even under the bed. If she was capable of crying over it, she would have by now. But she was not that little girl trying to hide so desperately from the orderlies and nurses, as much as it felt like that. ]

Don't give me a reason to, because I will.

[With that abrupt movement, Gilgamesh pieces together what he sensed earlier—what was off.

This was the behavior of one who had been struck, who had been made to feel fear through force. He cannot know the details and can only guess at what's transpired beyond a constant thread of violence, but he does recognize it. He held slaves once, after all, had beaten them more than once before when they displeased him. It does not necessarily make him more sympathetic, but the motivations behind her actions are now much clearer.

What a wretched creature. If he were stronger, he'd strangle her in her sleep and put her out of her misery altogether.]

You may look now. You cannot see me at all.

[He's under the sheets, out of sight save for his head. He doesn't think that will stir her but it may soothe her some. Quietly, he asks of her:]

...you truly hate this world, don't you?

[ There's a long silence that falls from underneath the now large bundle of blankets, Alice keeping the sword close to her chest. She didn't want to emerge from the blankets at that point, at all. He was the only other person in the room, which meant the other two could come back any time. And while Alice had only met the other, she didn't trust them quite yet. It was childish and she didn't care, she felt some security when eyes weren't boring into her. She could hear Dr. Wilson, even now, observing her when she was much younger, doing the exact same thing.

"Look at how small she's become, a vixen in her hidey-hole!"

He voice was muffled, staring out into the darkness, through her blankets.]

I'm content where I am.

[ She likely wouldn't come out for the rest of the night and would stay underneath that mass of blankets, unless one of them decided to even get close, then they would have to contend to Alice coming out, ready to use that sword. ]

Obviously. I don't belong here, I'm no warrior.

You will have to be.

[Gilgamesh tells her the truth, which rings strong and true through the voice that haunts her. She can hide in her blankets and wave her sword about at anyone who dared come near, but the reality was that she had no choice, same as the rest of them. The commander would tell her no because she wouldn't be afforded special treatment.

And the rest of the world wouldn't care about her boundaries, what had and hadn't been done to her. People would step close and people would touch and people would push her past her limits and it would quickly become a very terrible place for a very troubled girl.

Gilgamesh can do nothing for it, nor would he try. She must learn for herself. Even so...]

Unless you plan to run. And if you do, you'll need to run far, indeed, farther than you've ever gone before.

[Even so, even a great tyrant had no scorn to spare for someone the world had discarded already. She was simply a pitiful thing to him, unworthy of any real malice.]

I already have.

[ Twice, in fact, not that he needed to know. Even if it was a battle in her mind, it still counted as a battle, compounded with what she dealt with when she was young. The point was, no one knew her, they didn't know what she was capable of and what she would do. If anything, Alice would say it was not wise to engage with her, not at all. She was known to be violent and unstable -- when provoked, that was. She wore that as a shield, as means to protect herself. But even if she wanted to be normal and composed, she didn't want anyone to think of her as unable to cope.

She knew how to cope, she had no choice, as usual. ]

There are more qualified and much more experienced individuals than someone like me, that is all.

[ Her self loathing was a contradictory and she didn't care. She just didn't want any part of it. She felt more alone than she did before and she hated it. ]

[I already have.

Gilgamesh frowns in the dark and realizes there's no chance of reaching this girl. He wastes his words, he wastes his breath, he wastes his time. She will sit in the corner, she will hide herself away and she will hate everything and everyone. This battle was lost long before they even met. He's done here.

Gilgamesh turns on his side and supposes there's worth in asking one last thing.]

What do I call you, then?

[A name was better than nothing at all. He can't just call her girl who lives under the covers forever, that's a bit too demeaning even for his tastes.]

[ For now, she would likely not budge or retreat from her pile of blankets until they left and she couldn't see them. She would do so as many times as she could, until she knew it was going to be at least safe to. As tired as she is, she simply can't go back to sleep, so Alice lies there, listening. ]

Alice Liddell.

[ Smoothly underneath the blankets, despite how tired he is. She's almost tempted to ask him why anyone would name their son "Gilgamesh". What an odd name. ]

Alice...

[That name was infamous in the world of Servants. Though Gilgamesh was disconnected from his Gate and thus from its infinite knowledge of Heroes, he did recognize Alice—the girl who fell down the rabbit hole all the way to Wonderland. That creature of hers would've fit in there perfectly, he thinks.

Should he mention it? Should he say anything? In the end, wouldn't it simply make her even more frightful? No, it was for the best that he settled down. His words would be brushed aside, and Gilgamesh was not in the habit of giving advice, anyway. Ultimately, she must find her own path.

Gilgamesh goes quiet, but his eyes remain open. Alice isn't the only one unaccustomed to a good night's sleep.]

[ It's a bit calmer than what she's expecting, originally. She was expecting the worst case scenario at this point, being the only woman in the room. It was always the case in the asylum and while nothing was happening so far, Alice still felt plenty vulnerable. Lying there under the blanket, Alice was pained at the idea that she wouldn't be able to sleep so openly.

She was used to sleeping on hard surfaces. It was a shame, really, she couldn't feel completely comfortable like this. So, eventually, Alice broke the awkward silence, slowly shifting.

Pillows were a plus -- she couldn't say she had decent pillows like this in a long time. ]

May I ask you something?

[It catches Gilgamesh by surprise. He wasn't drifting towards anything like sleep, anyway, but his thoughts had begun to wander. He can't know what will follow may I ask you something, yet that she spoke up at all rather than lapse into silence does rekindle some faith he won't get stabbed in the side the moment he shuts his eyes.]

You may.

[In a situation like this, titles and ranks didn't matter. He was no more a king than she was a queen. He couldn't order her about and he couldn't make her see reason. She must adapt to him, but the same applies in his case—he must adapt to her, too, or else there really would be hell to pay.

He still can't believe he's entertaining this girl. Maybe she's stronger-willed than he originally thought to have that sort of effect on him.]

[ Alice is gathering up the blanket around her body, slipping off the bed, onto the floor. Her voice gentle, but firm, Alice wants to actually go back to sleep again. It's a simple request, it's all she wants. ]

Let me rest and I will do so for you as well.

[ He had to sleep sometime, much like the rest of them, whenever they showed up. Alice had half the mind to actually pretend she wasn't there at all. It was odd, but she was willing to at least hand off some level of trust for this stranger not to say anything for what she was doing.

And that was succumbing to her old habit of hiding herself. Pillows off the bed, as well as the comforters, Alice weasels herself underneath, grabbing her blanket with her and leaving her poor carrier to quizzically watch her, hissing faintly before it decides to hop down at the corner of the bed and wait for Alice.

Silence.

But finally, Alice was wrapped up in her comforter, with two pillows under her head and the sword by her side. As odd as it was, she finally felt somewhat comfortable enough to try and rest and fall back asleep. Sort of. ]

[It really was a simple request. It was also free of that earlier unease, absent of malice. Just a very small wish from someone who Gilgamesh had now deduced was very scared. Gilgamesh was a cruel man who did very cruel things, but picking on a person that had been beaten down so far already to the point where she'd cower in her sheets and pillows was beneath his pedigree. Maybe, just maybe, they could get along after all, on account of that pity.]

Good night.

[He doesn't question it one bit. For once, even Gilgamesh recognizes it's none of his business, though part of him wants to tell her you cannot hide from the whole world. But she is wrong in one regard: Gilgamesh doesn't sleep. If Alice had slept for years, Gilgamesh has not slept for millennia, and a single night wouldn't change that.

He will watch her 'til sunrise and wonder again how he could've possibly fallen so far so fast.]

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INTRO ♚ FEBRUARY

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