Big Trouble in the Big House

[divus]

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[selfimmolates]

You do that, then. You're the one with a light, anyway.

[ray will focus on moving around any boxes he can feel in the dark.]

[requiemed]

Don’t burn yourself again.

[She’s carefully starting to push some boxes aside, too, as she addresses Ray.]

What do you think it meant by the earth underneath?

[divus]

[If Connor goes to check, the door is, in fact, locked. Ray can move the boxes, as can Zoe. As they're pushing boxes around, they'll find they slide over the floor but as they move a box each (Ray's third, Zoe's fourth), they'll feel the boxes sink into the ground a bit in a small depression in the floor. Looks like they're locked in somehow, lining up to begin forming a path.

A small shred of light appears on the floor around them as well.

Luckily the door doesn't burn Connor, but the doorknob falls off.]

[tootsiepop]

[...

Guess he's just going to pocket that doorknob, huh. Time to return to the others, and in the most casual tone:]

The doorknob fell off

[Seems normal.

He'll help with moving the boxes now, though! What's up, mystery light.]

[selfimmolates]

[deadpan:]

Fascinating.

[unlike the glowing lock from before, light now is promising maybe so he'll keep moving boxes.]

[requiemed]

[Hm.]

Do either of you know if Cunning is into video games?

[Either way, she’s helping push these boxes.]

[divus]

[As they continue shuffling around boxes, more lights begin to show up in the floor as the boxes lock into place. It's definitely a pattern even if it isn's too obvious yet.

Once the last box is in place...they'll find that the path actually brings them face to face with a wall. Hm. The room is more lit up now and they've boxed themselves into this pathway, but at first glance there doesn't seem to be anything.]

[tootsiepop]

[WALL... There doesn't seem to be anything at first glance, but would there be anything of special interest if one were to feel around the wall?]

I wouldn't know... But it's a possibility. There was an arcade game in the other room, wasn't there?

[Though their friend the leopard got hungie for nuggies before they could do much. :/]

[selfimmolates]

Yeah, he is. He's been filching stuff from Merriment's Game Room.

[knocks on the wall?]

[requiemed]

...You know, maybe I shouldn’t be surprised by that, but I kind of am.

[While they both check out the wall, she’s kneeling slightly to run a hand over the path they’ve made, seeing if anything on the ground feels strange.]

[divus]

[A few things happen.

1.) Connor finds a small hole in the wall as if something, say, doorknob-sized and shaped could fit there.
2.) Ray knocking on the wall will render a hollow sort of sound as if there's something empty behind the wall.
3.) Zoe's hand will come across what feels like some string sticking out from the bottom of the wall. It seems to lead into whatever's behind the wall itself.]

[tootsiepop]

[Hm.

So what if he just

wordlessly

tries to stick the doorknob in and twist.]

[selfimmolates]

[ray lets out a low whistle, because connor did well!! congrats!! probably. watch the doorknob do nothing.

also he has his hand on his dagger hilt just in case.]

[requiemed]

[Time to hold onto this string just in case! She has nothing else to contribute this tag round.]

[divus]

[The wall opens into a perfect door-shaped opening. YAY! This means that the three of them can venture forward.

It's dark as shit, but if Connor shines his robo-LED on the ground he'll see that the string seems to lead them forward. There's nothing for Ray to attack yet. So. They can either follow the string into the unknown, or they can figure out how to get out through the original door.]

[tootsiepop]

[Nice.

Connor's gonna be a pal and shine his LED on the ground, taking note of the string. This seems like a very safe, unspoopy path to follow.]

I'd like to see where this leads, if it's all the same to you.

[Let him nyoom.]

[selfimmolates]

[nothing's jumped out at them yet, so ray is going to remove his hand from his dagger—and get his gun back out.]

Might as well after all that effort.

[requiemed]

Yeah, let’s go for it.

[She lifts the string up slightly so it’s easier to see as they go.]

[divus]

[This is a very nice, non-spoopy path! There's even a very helpful string to guide them! As they venture forward the wall, again, seems to slide closed and trap them inside. They're now in a tunnel and seem to follow a string that started out white and slowly seems to turn red. It's not blood, it's just fading from white to pink to a solid red to guide them.

As they walk, they'll also hear the walls begin to shift around them, and eventually they hit a point where the string...runs out...

...hm.

They have three paths to pick from their current point. The left, the right and the center don't seem to have any noticeable differences.

Pick a path.]

[tootsiepop]

[Oh.

Hm.

Connor takes a moment to stare at the three paths, trying to pick even the slightest hint of a detail that would set them apart. Obviously, he won't find any. Which is, you know, great for the decision making process.]

... I'm unable to spot any differences between all three paths. We'll have to arbitrarily pick one to proceed.

[selfimmolates]

... Cunning must be having a great time right now...

[jan is not picking fuck that]

i hate you both

[requiemed]

He probably is.

[Ugh.]

Let's go left.

[divus]

[As they head left, the walls begin to brighten a little more until they step inside what looks like a large room. Entering it, they'll find themselves blissfully alone for a few moments before the sound of cage bars sliding open hits their ears.

There's an angry snarling sound, a howl of outrage and when the three turn around they'll find themselves face to face with a brand new friend.

Oh look. He has an axe. And he's pissed.

Well. Time to find a way out!]

[tootsiepop]

[Oh. This is unfortunate.

He's taking a step back, startled and way out of his field. Killing monsters is 100% not part of his programming? So. You know. Hissing through his teeth—]

... Shit. [THIS IS FINE. 2/4 SWEAR WORDS USED.] Ray.

[Gun child, this is a fantastic time to pew pew? And maybe master the art of bullfighting on the spot. He's ready to jump out of the way if their new friend decides to charge at them. But in those precious seconds before they get murdered — what's in the room? Any exits or openings? Any handy dandy tools or torches that can be used to fulfill Eli's minotaur killing dreams?]

[selfimmolates]

[connor doesn't need to tell ray twice. almost instinctively, he aims the gun at the center of the minotaur's face and fires (minotaur, minotaur—nothing special about how to kill them, from what he recalls from mythology. hopefully easier to deal with than demons, but time to see). no panic; for better or for worse, he's in his element now.]

You two, get back!