INTRO ♚ FEBRUARY

[boardmaster]

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!

Comments

HALL OF GLORY

[boardmaster]

[Toplevels for individual room interaction at the Hall of Glory may go here.]

Q109

[corpsedoctor]

[ A light? It is not the same light that has greeted him every day. The room is not bathed in twilight. There is not a sudden flickering of the sun. No, the glow is not what he is used to, but more than that … it feels warm? The artificial sun has never felt warm before! ]

What calamity has befallen us?! [ Thunderland throws the sheets off as he dashes toward the window. Throwing open the curtains, he sees … he does not see what is supposed to be outside. This is not right? His head tips up to look toward two suns to see it beaming down upon him. This isn't right?! Spiritus? No, that's not-- there has only ever been one! So what is that?

He turns to note that there are others in the room with him. Straightening his posture, he doesn't recognize either man. What do they think that they're doing in his quarters? But that's not right, is it? This isn't where he is supposed to be. This isn't the sun that he knows. Of course, it isn't; there are two. Spiritus – that is not – there is a lot to process at this moment.

And it only takes him a few seconds to realize that he has been standing in front of both window and strangers buck naked. Thunderland notes the room nannies that have his clothes hovering close to him, pecking at his shoulder to get him to get dressed. ]

This is all very fascinating. I would like to know your thoughts as soon as I am dressed! [ Taking the clothes from the birds, he stares at them for a long time before he starts to pull on the new attire. Yes, there will be a lot of questions, but he is not so socially stunted to know that he cannot have a rational discussion with someone on the scientific implications of their appearance in this room without clothes. ]

[powerdriven]

[ Levi has always been one to prefer strict routine, and yet nevertheless, has neither depended on its invariable ability to be kept. Although whether keeping an eye peeled for intruders, waiting to hear the call to arms for him to make quick work of every buckle and belt of the maneuvering gear harness, one thing has always remained true. He might prepare his tea first, or hang the linen, but invariably, he always wakes before the sun. And that is that.

Or so it always has been, until now. His first sense that something is wrong? Why, outside of the menagerie of vague dreams and images still lingering in his head, it's the sense of a crack of light behind his eyes being ripped open by the hands of an intruder on the shutters.

He sits up in bed with a start, before Thunderland ever addresses either him or the other man in the room. An instinctive hand is hot on the underside of his pillow for a blade that isn't there. Yet its absence, the scene before him as he takes in the open window, their lack of any clothes, the tittering, metal pigeon directing him to a fresh-pressed uniform—these would all ease his hostility, for one broken, inexplainable glimpse of reality.

One which he bears primarily in silence, regaining his senses to grasp at his new roommate's words and trying, once again, to understand. It seems to hit him at once, at the point in which his teeth grit together and his hands brace at sheets into rising from his bed. ]

Forget about that. What in the hell is going on around here?

[ The thought of clothes seems petty at a time like this, but of course, said pigeon urges him to his uniform's side nonetheless. ]

Q101

[brawlhalla]

closed to yoichi/queen 101;

[ Even before she opens her eyes, something feels off to Astrid. She knows the feel of her own bed, and she doesn't typically sleep in the nude (thanks, Blanc). Her hand immediately reaches for her axe - but it isn't there. That, more than the other changes, sets her on edge. She sits up in bed prepared to fight off - whatever this is, but it seems to be just a place. She has hazy memories of a strange sight, but for now -

The room seems to be occupied by only one other person, in one of the other four beds, and there are strange metal birds speaking. Put on the uniform? What - ?

...You know what, demanding answers can surely wait to tug on the uniform, being naked helps no one. Luckily it doesn't take her too long to dress, even if the style of the girl's uniform is unfamiliar. When she's done, she hops out of bed and stomps over to Yoichi's side of the room, ignoring the mechanical pigeons - mostly. She bats at one who gets near her, scowling and prepared to take it on if it continues, though her focus is mostly on the other occupant of Queen 101. The letter on the uniform had been scanned, scoffed at, and abandoned on her bed. ]

Hey. Who are you? [ It's more than a little blunt, but she isn't actually suspecting the kid of anything...yet. For the time being. Gods, she really wants a weapon. The protective part of her, the part trained to defend, prompts her to add: ] You okay?

[demonbow]

[ He wakes up to someone standing over him — a girl he's never seen before, leaning over him and glaring, looking angry, backlit by too-bright sunlight. He's not fully awake yet, not thinking, but there doesn't seem to be any danger, nothing to remind him that the last thing he remembers should be a battle. The only threat seems to be her, and she seems to be... accusing him of something, maybe?

Instinctively, he blurts out an apology. ]

I'm sorry! [ Then her question sinks in, and he blinks at her, staring, before adding: ] Um. I'm fine. I think?

[ Another second ticks by and he tries to inch away from her subtly. And that's when he notices it.

He's lying on top of a bed and he's stark naked. ]

Ahhhh—!

[ Thunk. That's the sound of Yoichi rolling off the bed and making contact with the floor. ]

Q110

[accordance]

[ Lord Light wakes to the unfamiliar sensation of existence.

For a few seconds, he doesn't open his eyes, merely laying on whatever surface he had materialized into. The air feels cold, and he realizes that his clothes are gone - but that isn't quite the matter, because so is his Sight and that was the more important thing. Another minute or so of internal calibration later, he establishes that he is still intact physically. Another plus.

Opening his eyes, he registers light pouring in, a scenery alien from all that he has seen on Krythe. More mysteries, more questions - which he all files away for later investigation, because the truth is bound to present itself one way or another. He takes his time in examining his unclothed body with a detailed eye, noting no scars nor marks upon his vessel that could have indicated signs of tampering.

Then, he lifts one hand, and in an instant a pair of white, feathered wings burst into existence from his back. He still looks different from what one would expect a normal human to be - his features are perfectly symmetrical, and he looks more like a mannequin or sculpture in how he lacks quite a few... structures expected from a human man.

He doesn't seem to notice anyone in the room with him just yet. Patience, young ones. ]

[holdthatpose]

Cuuuuuute...

[There's someone else in the room; reddish-pink hair peeks out from beneath the blankets of one of the beds. Apparently, waking up wasn't good enough for Dorothy Hyatt, because she got dressed before deciding maybe a few more minutes wouldn't hurt. One of the room Nannies is standing on her shoulder and is about five seconds away from starting to drill her head, but for now Dorothy feels awfully tired in her strange dream. Maybe if she sleeps inside her dream, she'll have a dream within a dream!

Exciting. ♡]

Q106

[hymnals]

[ Monsters, magic, a mission to save the world--that's familiar territory. But everything else is new and horrible. Adrasteius, a light sleeper on the best of days, jolts awake as soon as the visions fade. He expects to find himself in his house, perhaps covered in sweat or trembling with the weight of destiny, etc, but no. He's somewhere else entirely, and he hasn't got a Light-damned strip of clothing on. The latter problem is the most pressing, especially because he can hear voices and shuffling very close by. Other people.

Though he looks at the uniform with distaste--where are his robes?--he dresses quickly. If someone's there with him, he steadfastly pretends not to notice, because to do otherwise would result in a hugely embarrassing full-body blush. An interesting effect, particularly given his full-body tattoos.

Once everything's well covered, Adrasteius addresses the first roommate he sees, gesticulating in agitation. Still behaving as though this person did not just see his bits and bobbles. ]

All right, what's the game? Who's responsible for this? No, don't answer. I know it's not you. You don't know what the hell is going on, either, do you?

[ He rakes a hand down his face, as he stares (likely up) at whomever he's come across. ]

This is just fantastic. Light preserve me.

[deepdyed]

[Froaude is already dressed, because he's efficient and has no time for fretting about whether or not anyone will see him in whatever state. He doesn't like the uniform - why is it so bright - but it's what's there. By the time Adrasteius starts... ranting, Froaude has already made up his mind to ignore everyone else in the room for at least one whole hour.

Not that he didn't have a look around. He did. It's helpful to know exactly who he may or may not have to deal with in the near future. Still, he's set to mind his own business and is in fact doing just that, bent to peer into the chest at the foot of what is apparently his bed now, looking for something. He rolls his eyes into the chest at all of the attitude behind him, drawing in a slow breath and reminding himself to show some restraint. God, show some restraint.

So when he turns, straightening up (and up, and up), he is completely calm, if not even affable. Socializing. Wonderful.]

Light? [who says that] You ask quite the volume of questions for a man who apparently would like none of them answered. If I may; it's quite simple.

[He gestures at the rest of the room with one hand.]

We have been kidnapped and conscripted. I'm afraid that is all I've managed, so far.

Q204 aka FURRY ROOM aka LOUD SCREAMING

[mikooon]

...Uuurgh...

[Tamamo makes a disgruntled noise as the light seeps into her line of sight. She's died before, yes, but she's only been completely erased from existence one time, which was a few seconds ago. Or minutes? Or years? She feels like some real time has passed between being in the Moon Cell and now, but it's all blurred, like a dream. She's been summoned as a Heroic Spirit before, so it's not like this feeling is completely foreign. But it's unique.

Stretching her arms out, she cracks her back--] Aaah, that hits the spot! [--Before forcing her eyes open.

Then she hears the sounds. She's not alone.

This isn't too alarming, except for when her eyes flit down, and she realizes she is completely fucking naked.]

Haaaaaah?!

[THIS IS LIKE THAT ONE EXTRA CCC CG EXCEPT EVEN WORSE (warning for naked fox girl, obviously)]

No! Avert your gaze! [She quickly crosses her arms around her chest, and folds up her legs.] I'm a married woman!

[myfairlily]

... So put some clothes on. I can't stay like this forever.

[The vaguely disgruntled response is very muffled, probably because it's coming from under a layer of sheet peeking out from over the side of one of the other beds -- there are two pointy lumps under the sheet, and if you look very closely, you could see them twitching just a little bit.

Bernard's definitely a stranger to dying or being erased from existence; in fact, he's also very much not used to waking up without an exact idea of where he's been or what he's been doing, even as unpredictable as things have become lately. Nevertheless, instinct is the one thing he's still wearing; his wake-up was spent less on stretching and more on rolling right off the bed, sheet and all, to have a safer vantage point on his surroundings. He'd stopped short of going under the bed, of course. That wouldn't have been dignified.

So, all things considered, he'd had a brief look around. And maybe he accidentally caught some fox skin, but you'll never take him alive...! (He's learned by now that the best offense is sometimes a good pretending-it-isn't-there.)

All in all, the first thing he did after he got a modicum of his bearings back: pulled his sheet down over his head to cover his eyes before he got any more of an eyeful. It has the added bonus of also muffling the totally unnecessary screaming.]

Q210

[babbylon]

[Gilgamesh is not happy.

Gilgamesh is not happy, but he's also more than a little drowsy, so his impassioned tirade begins with him rolling out of bed without a scrap of clothing on him and just sort of storming around in a rage and awakening his roommates that way. Assuming they weren't awake already thanks to that stupid bird.]

Who dares trifle with Gilgamesh?! And why...

[Why can I not summon my Gate? Red eyes narrow sharply and Gilgamesh then decides to do the most sensible thing: blame everyone else around him for his problems. By throwing objects. Pillows, sheets, cups, whatever's lying around may very well wind up chucked at your head. Gentle reminder that this man is well over 5,000 years old.

Again, one must stress the nakedness. It is intense. It is egregious. It is not going away anytime soon. Good luck, guys.]

Don't sit there with that stupid look! Assist me at once!

[With what, Gilgamesh? Your tantrum? Your dire state of dress? It helps to specify.]

train.gif

[digophelia]

[ The creature on Alice's hand titters to her as she gently scratches it's head. The moment it descended on her shoulder, the moment Alice decided initially that she was going to like it. It wasn't a frightening creature, to her, it was darling and, actually, a creature of Wonderland, too. Granted, it would have been an enemy to Alice at one point, back in Queensland, though not now. Aside from the omega pendant around her neck, it was the only piece of Wonderland she had.

As frightening as this Cardiavion is, it's flinchy, hissing as it decides to hide underneath Alice's long dark hair as soon as they both hear that voice.

Alice was content being on her own and turns around, green eyes going wide in surprise. It's generally considered uncouth for a man to be this close in a lady's quarters, servant or not, and Alice doesn't take to kindly to it. The Cardiavion burrowing in her hair, frightened as it is, Alice slides off her perch- ]

What do you think you're doing?

[ Both genders sharing a space is a foreign concept. She treats him like an intruder. This small, slender girl is stronger than she looks and promptly storms over and shoves him out. ]

Leave!

q102

[poleposition]

[ The problem with that fantastic world is it reeked of his own. But somehow, he gets the feeling that it's not. So, there are two problems he needs to contend with now; of course, Ishgard's plight comes first.

When he swings himself out of the bed, it's pretty clear that he's pissed—scowling, holding a hand to his head, and what looks like blood is caked onto the back of his neck and in his snowy hair. It's not his, he's not wounded.

...and it might be the source of that tangy smell. He certainly doesn't seem to care much that he's naked, and flecks of the dried blood can be found on his elbows too. His body is scarred with what looks like claw marks and burns, and as he seethes and clutches his head, he growls out something. ]

Where is this damnable place?

[ It's the first time in so long that he hasn't felt the crushing weight of the Eye. It's almost painful in its absence. ]

Q202

[glorifiedtrash]

[It's not the light that wakes Zelos up. It's the sense of wrongness. None of this is familiar from the bed (how often does he sleep in a bed? far too seldom) to the sounds to the smells, right down to the feel of the sheets these are not the satin sheets of his manor that's for damn sure.

Also he's naked. Tracing a subtle cross under the sheets he opens his eyes and sits up ready to-- see three other people in apparently the same situation as himself?!]

... ... ... [Well okay then.] Whatever we did in this room stays in this room.

[He's got priorities okay.]

Q105

[carptricks]

[it's a beautiful morning! the light streams serenely into the rooms, the smell of bread brings promises of a fulfilling breakfast, and--]

Ow! What the heck?! Quit it, you bucket of bolts bird! The hell is your problem?!

[. . . someone is yelling]

[if the other residents of Q105 weren't awake already, then the irate cries of one of their roommates just might serve as their obnoxious alarm clock. those curious enough to investigate the commotion will step onto the scene just in time to catch one (1) messy-haired teen stumbling backwards and shaking his white jacket at the mechanical pigeon. thankfully he isn't completely naked-- somewhere along the line he managed to struggle into a pair of pants-- but he hasn't managed the shirt just yet]

[whiiiich is something that could probably be explained by the room nanny's interference. because after only a few seconds, the metal bird lunges forward and snaps its beak at Kaito's jacket. with another yelp, the thief leaps back, brows furrowed in a glower]

Oi, oi! I can get dressed myself, sheesh! Does it look like I need your help?

[seems like this new Hero is taking too long to get dressed for this room nanny's comfort. and as for Kaito himself, well. . . he's way too busy fighting with a bird to notice that there are other people in the room with him. now may be a good time to garner some real blackmail material, yeah?]

Q203

[harassing]

[ The reflexive, immediate emotion racing through Shinya's mind when his eyes first open to the light is relief. It's the sun, or at least some sort of light, and not the faces of hostile vampires. At the very least, he had been knocked out long enough to be transported to safety. That initial feeling of relief is quickly replaced by bewilderment, his eyes widening as he sits up and finds himself in remarkably unfamiliar territory.

Sans his black uniform. Sans his undergarments. As bare as the day he was born. It was bizarre, to say the least. Quickly, he stands, scanning the room for signs of life and simultaneously working his way into his issued uniform. He works quickly enough that the room nannies leave him alone, for the most part. This sort of uniform is almost reflexive to get into. It's also no coincidence that it fits exactly to his size, as tailored as his old one. ]

What sort of strange predicament have we landed ourselves in, stranger? [ His gaze falls on the strange, mechanical birds. ]

[ Despite his alarm, he keeps his voice leveled, and he does avert his gaze and turn around for his roommates' modesty. They don't seem hostile, not at the moment, at least, and if they've found themselves in the same situation, they might be of some help. He finishes buttoning up his jacket and sighs. ]

Whatever this place is, they could do with a nicer welcome...

Q103, JUST ANOTHER NERVOUS WRECK

[swinges]

The fuck? [the first voice to break the silence and it is, unfortunately, loud.

metal bat doesn't have a "morning mood" kind of wake-up call from the rickety pigeon sitting in the middle of the room. it's a sweaty, molasses-brained jerk into an upright position—and his hair is a rat's nest, drool dries on a cheek, wide eyes dart around the room through warm pseudo-sunlight. he feels like an absolute state, limbs and tongue heavy like the after-effects of morphine at the hospital; he's no longer close to the hospital.

and that ideation drops a very cold dread into his gut, mouth falling open in a momentary wordless gape, only one name coming to mind: if i'm here, where's zenko?

real panic starts to set in, then, head on a swivel as he checks the surroundings. aiming a look out of the nearest window, spotting the ominous sky with a lean closer and a smack of a palm on the pane of glass, badd's breath is held in his lungs. this is a dream, this can't be happening, he was at home, they were all at home taking care of tama and her litter of newborn kittens, he was holding a hot chocolate, his bat was against his knee, his watery eyes were closing to the sound of tiny purr-motors, where is his baseball bat? where the hell is his little sister?

the only conclusion badd can think up is that he's been kidnapped; his eyebrows pinch together with the revelation. he's naked, potentially drugged, being held in a foreign room in a foreign city, and his primary weapon is gone. his family heirloom is gone. it's almost a little funny, actually, in the hysteria, a sharp bark of a shout quieting their squawking room nanny.]

Ya chose the wrong motherfucker to nab!

[fingers ripping at blankets, tearing them away from the mattress with a stagger out of bed, metal bat hastily wraps himself in the bundle. a makeshift toga, if you will. a sarong of freshly cleaned sheets, now drooled on and used as a buffer between himself and the door when he runs at it shoulder-first.]

Q207

[troyhard]

[ It wasn't the "sun" shining in his face that woke him up. It was the painful pecking he had to endure when the room nanny decided that he's been sleeping for far too long.

Immediately, Slaine bolts up from bed after a few pained cries. He grabs at his throbbing head and trying to soothe it. A moment later, he notices that three other beds were also in the room. Two are occupied. They may have already woken up and were watching with amusement (or horror, because Slaine's sheets slipped off so he's completely naked) over the scene, his crying woke them up, or the bird nanny decided to wake them up in a similar manner.

EITHER WAY...

... he's flashing some unfortunate people right now; something Slaine hasn't registered yet because he's trying to figure out what's going on. Cover your maiden eyes or you'll be ruined for marriage!! ]

Q205

[buildyourworld]

[ Waking up in a strange world isn't quite as bad as having the headache he has right now. Rather than immediately checking out the noises he's hearing, Tieria is instead just trying to get the headache under control for now, naked or not. He remembers some strange world and being told to save it or something vaguely similar but the pain isn't doing anything to help with that particularly weird piece of memory.

It took him at least a good five minutes before he's no longer feels like he needs a new set of skull but opening his eyes to a foreign room and unknown naked people isn't making him feel any better. This means somehow, somewhere, someone managed to download him from Veda and put him in a body, then brought him into a different world across dimensions. He feels like his headache just got a lot worse, especially when a strange mechanical pigeon starts nagging him to put on clothes. ]

Does either of you know what's going on here?

[ Ignoring that pigeon for now; he'll get dressed when he feels like it. He's not exactly new about being naked or changing in front of people, although when it comes to it, they're usually people he trust. After deciding that he has enough pain to deal with at the moment than try to check his connection to Veda, across dimensions or not, he grabs the pair of pants provided. For everyone's sake, Tieria did turns away to put it on... ]

Q108

[sunderings]

[ Sion Astal is the picture of ease: legs long and crossed at the ankles, he sits poised at the edge of his bed, dressed already in the uniform provided. Naturally, he'd woken without the prodding of the room nanny (he is either extremely resilient, thoroughly well-rested, or boasts an intense dislike for sleep!), and he'd been courteous enough, at the time, to maneuver about the shared quarters with soundless footfalls and excellent control of breath, so as not to disturb the rest of his comrades.

But now...! Now it seems all for naught, for the mechanized pigeon, unable to truly be anything other than the warden it is, flusters about the room, fluttering and squawking (wake up, wake up!) despite Sion's most valiant attempt to quell the noise with an array of pleading gestures and a careful forefinger pressed to the seal of his lips in the universal symbol for quiet please.

Ah, well?! He tried. Sion's expression is caught somewhere between morbidly amused and apologetic as he looks to the other beds, deciding whether or not if it would be in everyone's best interests to mention... ]

Ah. I'd not rise too swiftly, if I were you. There is nothing beneath the sheets.

[ …hopefully, that'll not be too vague a warning. ]

Q201: THE ANIMAL SHELTER

[composedfool]

[Visions of a fantastic world flashing before his eyes... it's honestly just another night in the dreams of Yu Narukami. He saw so many weird things in the past year that his brain wasn't able to keep up with it. So the foggy recollections he had of swords and sorcery in the alleyways of an unfamiliar city are kind of par for the course. Yu groans quietly as the sunlight hits his eyes -- after that, the semblance of his normal life ends.]

[He knows this in three major ways. One, there's a robotic bird clicking faintly on a perch; two, this isn't his room or his bed, and he wasn't even in a bed when he fell asleep; three, he's naked.]

[That wakes him up pretty quickly.]

[Yu turns onto his side, making sure to keep the blanket in a strategic position. Even without the clockwork nanny and the... cat, he's not alone in here. Since when was there a cat lying on the other end of his bed? It definitely wasn't there a minute ago. The evenness of his voice is probably impressive, considering the circumstances.]

...Good morning.

[The implied next sentence: "What the hell is this?"]

Q107

[kirkhammer]

[Vivienne doesn't often dream. When she does, they're usually distorted and fragmented, hearing whispers that sound more like garbled noise than any actual language. But today, the images are clearer than they've ever been, though also more foreign than they've ever been. The only constant is that these don't make any more sense than what she's "used" to.

But as she opens her eyes to an unfamiliar room, to an unfamiliar bed, to a... moving toy bird of some sort cocking its head at her from her bedside table, she jolts upright - covers with her, of course, she does come from a rather modest era - and properly scans the room. Though... fat lot of good that's going to do when her eyes are still adjusting from that damned light shining on her face only moments ago. But if nothing else, she's vaguely aware of the presence of others. She can't make out their faces, but the two big moving blobs in the room are definitely people.]

I demand answers.

[That.. came out rather testy, but Vivienne was never a morning person. Though her aggression is somewhat dimished by the sole fact that toy bird from earlier has hopped into her lap and begun... pecking... at her. It obviously wants something from her, but look, she's busy, cut that out--]

Q210 - first day, later in the night

[digophelia]

[ By the end of the day, Alice has been forced to return back to the room, much to her dismay. Her initial plan was to possibly rig something up for privacy, as a desperate attempt to protect herself. It's been a while since she's slept so freely around strangers and being in a room with three men is pretty alarming, even frightening for her. By the time she gets to the armory, Alice has returned back with a sword. Her sword. She couldn't say she knew how to use a sword and almost was tempted to find a way to steal a knife and return, because it was what she knew.

She did, at least, have warm, clean clothes, and a place to stay. When she was alone, Alice had told herself that she was just going to rest after eating and exploring. But the bed was so much softer than anything she slept on in years -- hilarious considering the close quarters. Curled up with her carrier, which Alice had developed a quick bond with already, in a fetal position of the sort, sword clutched tightly to her body, ready to use, just in case. After everything that has happened, she could really recall the last time she slept from wandering around London -- probably for days.

Unfortunately, Alice isn't a heavy sleeper. You're not a heavy sleeper after ten years in an asylum. But, at least, it's nice to sleep, even if Alice collapsed, still in her uniform and not getting very far with how her shoes have been kicked off. ]

Q208

[blessings]

[ Even hours after Eirlys first awoke and took sight of a different world, it's still unbelievable. But the people and their faces, the landmarks and the technology, the words about magic she caught briefly in a paragraph written in a book--it told her this was a different world from the one she was used to. She's read it in stories: people crossing worlds and finding themselves in extraordinary situations, but she had never thought it would happen to her.

When asked to pick a weapon out of so many, she had picked a book, like one of those she used back home. She holds it to her chest, tracing the edge with a finger as she walks, head turning to catch the number on the doors. 205, 206, 207... ]

There's someone else staying in our room. [ The round bluebird she had picked as a carrier chirps as he flies behind her. ] Oh, I haven't met them yet. This is it, 208!

[ She stops in front of the door and knocks. It's quiet. Maybe there's nobody inside, or maybe they're asleep? ]

...I-I'm coming in!

[ ...It's empty. Her roommate isn't back yet, it seems. Eirlys closes the door, a little disappointed and walks over to the window. ]

They might be out exploring. [ She peers out into the snow, into the lights in the distance. Caissa is big, she was told. Maybe bigger than Prontera ever was. Even in this unfamiliar place where she doesn't know anyone, it makes her heart soar. Being a hero might be impossible, but if she could help the people here... ] ...Mm, I want to go take a look around too!

[ The bluebird perches on her shoulder as she turns around and starts for the door. She should give it a name, maybe. Something cute. Running through words in her head, she wonders if Lumaria and Iseul are well. If being summoned here means she disappeared from her home... ]

Ah... Oh!

[ It's only when the book hits the ground that Eirlys realises she's dropped it. Focus, she has to focus. Bending down to pick it up, she doesn't hear the door open. ]