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[Kitty]

Take a short bow, then put hammer away into backpack and slip gun into pocket. "I'm Cat." Sit down in the chair, but don't take tea yet. "What exactly do you mean by 'the rules' and 'the contestants'?"

[Amber]

Dsk: Fumbling for the blade, you feel your fingers touch cold metal, and swing the blade around your feet. It's rusty, but at least it's metal, and it cuts through the creeping vines in a heartbeat. They were almost up to your knees. Scrabbling to your feet, you can see the vines retreat slightly; all the ones that were covering the floor have moved away from you, and the ones that fell off your body lie one the ground, wriggling slightly. You feel the tension as if a snake is about to strike, and the vines remove themselves ever so slowly from the doorway out, before becoming a sea of green, pulsating tendrils. You can tell they're waiting for your next move... And from all around you, you can hear the sounds foliage creeping along the walls, the ceiling-

There's a slight hum as they crawl off of the fan, and it's slow, steady movements began to spring back into damaged, rusted action, and a droning humid air settles over the room. You can feel a bead of sweat forming on your face...

---

Lieutenant Ragnarok: You hastily open up the golden locket, and notice a small photo, put in with love and care, edges faded with time and leaking. There's what appears to be a young couple, staring at you with radiant faces: A young man with a pasty complexion and an honest smile, looking utterly happy, and standing next to him, a young woman with skin the colour of burnt caramel: she, too, looks equally happy. Two names are written in tiny, spidery hand-writing: Niel and Tanya, under the man and the woman respectively. Funny, in the back, you can almost see a third individual... But the picture has been folded so that you can't see their face. You hand it to your traveling companion... And see his eyes nearly pop out of his head.

He smiles at you widely, grins, and hands the photo back. "Hotcha, we've hit the jackpot! Do you see the GOLD this thing is made of? We're gonna be rich, my man. RICH! Oh, the photo, right?" - he taps his finger against the old scene, damaging the face of 'Niel' a bit. "Never seen these people before in my life. And you can count on that!"

---

Cat: Elizabeth smiles widely as you slip your weapons away, but she seems even more happy that you bowed. "Cat..." She murmurs thoughtfully, stirring one of her fingers in the tea. "That's a nice name. You know, I always wanted a pet..." Sighing wistfully again, she straightens herself up, and nods. "But of course, you don't know the rules. If you escape, the money and prestige promised are all yours, as are three wishes. And certainly, -He- could grant any wish -He- wanted... If you reach the middle chambers, you and anyone with you, before you, or after you, may opt out of the competition to become a Guardian, with the rules and restrictions that apply. You may use any means necessary to win." She stops, kneels over her tea... And laps it up slowly, with her tongue. When she's finished doing that, she wipes it off her lips with a little white napkin, and stares at you. "You were asking about contestants? You really don't know? Anything? Oh, right, I forgot... This is how it's usually run... Sorry, I've been here a long time. There are likely five to ten other contestants, taken from the best, most talented, lucky, or unique of your decade. You may work with them, help them reach the prize together... Kill them... Whatever you need to do to win." She laps her tea again, then tilts her head. "Ah... Perhaps I should start at the begginning?"

[dsk]

Get the FUCK out of there.

[Dagnarok]

Put the locket in my inventory screen.

Alright my friend, stay on the couch for a moment.  I'll be right back.

Poke head through eastern door to see if anyone is in there.

[Kitty]

Gulp nervously. "Er... two questions first, then the beginning. One, what are the rules and restrictions for guardians? And two..." glance at her, "You are a guardian yourself, aren't you, Liz?"

((Question: Appearance is normal human or whatever we want or what?))

[Amber]

Dsk: Fuck this; you're not staying in the plant room a moment longer. With all the energy you can muster, you leap towards the unguarded door; it can't be more than fifty feet away, but every footstep seems like a tiny eternity, the door swimming closer and closer until

something stings.

The only sound is a lightning sharp crack: quiet, swift, and deadly. The razor-sharp vine narrowly misses your chest and strikes your shoulder, digging into your body and wrenching itself out with a slight flick; blood splatters everywhere. However, you manage to pull yourself together through the pain, instantly recognizing the wound as nothing more than superficial. The rest of the vines however, are not so intelligent, shooting from the roof, the walls, the ground, *everywhere* towards the crimson feast on the floor, like bizarre green sharks. The verdant tide suckles the blood on the floor; you can see your own blood running through the almost transparent green as they drink distractedly. But you don't look for long, and use the brief distraction to jet through the door on the left; it doesn't open at first, but you jerk on the handle with all of your strength, yank the door open, and then slam it shut behind you... Just as you hear the razor-whistle of more of the killer shoots, followed by the weak slam of them hitting the door.

The room you're in now is eerily reminiscent of a bunker. More of the boxes you saw in the last room are here; this appears to be their origin. However, most of the boxes in this room are not wood crates, but metal. Many of them have labels in cyrillic(The letters ФГУП are very common), and appear to have been looted of all their contents. The otherwise spartan room is made of what appears to be iron, and the door is reinforced. There is a grate in the floor that seems to lead into an underground passage, a ventilation shaft to the left which is the only clear source of air, and an iron-reinforced oak door to your south. In the center of the room, almost hidden by the crates, is the slightly decayed figure of a young man. Near his fingertips is a rather hefty seeming shotgun; there are markings on it's side reading 'CCCP - RMB-93'. Given the large hole in the man's head, one could be lead to some conclusions... There is a red-speckled letter also near his fingertips.

---

Lieutenant Ragnarok: You slip the locket into your pocket, and turn to the wizard, who has already seated himself on the couch. It looks like he's about to go to sleep when you mention you're going to investigate; his eyes snap open, and he nods his head drowsily. "Uhmn. Right, right. Just make sure to be careful. Ya never know... What sort... Nyurgh..." Wow, he's fallen asleep well talking. If he's a wizard, he must not be a particularly good one. Say, you've never seen him cast a single spell, have you? Well, whatever.

You ignore the raggedy-clothed and motheaten man taking up all the good space on the couch, and poke your head into the room to the east, keeping your fingers on the trigger of your shotgun; as much as it pains you to admit it, you don't know what could be out there. So, keeping very quiet, you tilt your head to the east...

The room to the east is definitely some sort of study; it seems like a replica of the perfect 1950's American Household. The only thing missing is a middle-aged man with a pipe and vest, his trophy wife, and their 2.5 children. None of them seems to be present, however, and breaking the forced antiquity of the room is a small section at the end which is covered with television monitors hanging from the ceiling, although none of them seem to be on at the moment. You let your eyes drift over the room again, and notice the older man with the dead, grey eyes staring straight at you-

- Sorry, I must have been mistaken. There isn't anyone at all in the room. You could go investigate, if you like.

---

Cat: Elizabeth's smile is so wide that it looks like it could split her face; if her eyes are any indicator, it just might. "You know, that's the first time someone's called me 'Liz'! I really like it, I think it'll by my new name from now on... Ah, right though, your questions." She leans back in her chair, and for a minute looks as if she'll close her eyes and drift into sleep. After a long silence, she opens her eyes, and stares straight at you. Her eyes are lifeless, and she speaks in a monotone drawl. "The rules and restrictions of guardians are tied to their situation and personality, as well as personal success in the Challenge. Although they may not leave their 'territory', conquest of another Guardian's territory is permitted through co-operation or... Other methods. The guardians must answer all questions the current contestants ask, although there is no guarantee of honesty except in clarification of the status of the contestants, the nature of the Challenge, and any instructions He has asked them to clarify. They are to ensure the smooth flow of the contest, and entertainment to those investing their time and money into the endeavor. To this end, Guardians may take whatever action they see necessary... Within the confines of their territory."

Slipping her gaze from yours to the bottom of her tea-cup, Liz stares at stains on the bottom, before meeting your gaze again. Her smile is back, and you can't see a trace of her earlier expression. "Sorry for all that boring stuff. Yes, I am a Guardian. I was involved in the contest three years ago... And as you can see, I guess I failed to win, huh?" Giggling slightly, she finishes off her tea and looks at your own as if to ask 'it's getting cold... do you want a new cup?' before continuing with a dreamy smile on her face. The contrast between the sunniness of her dress and the artificial lighting makes her seem like the source of light in the room. "Well, you've probably guessed... I can't promise to tell you the truth, or that what I know *is* true, but I can fill you in on the basics of the Challenge. You, and several others considered 'unique', or 'talented', or just interesting to the eyes of the Director, have been taken here. Wherever that is..." She stops to laugh, but it's rather forced. "This place is.. Ah, hmn. Let's say it's a maze! And at the end, is the Director. If you can survive, you've won yourself fame, fortune and freedom, or so I hear. Even your hearts desire." She smirks bitterly, her otherwise sweet face twisting hatefully before her eyes widen and she blinks. "Er, sorry. Uhmn..."

Looking embarrassed, she gets up and heads to one of the bookshelves, coughing politely before turning back to you, her expression cheerful again. "There are a bunch of tools, weapons and things scattered about. You were good enough to reach me, Cat. You've probably got a chance at this thing, I bet!" She smiles radiantly, and takes a step towards you. "And, you know... A lot of us Guardians want to help, or at least try. So, uhmn, ask anything else you like... And I'll do my best to help you. I know a thing or two about this place!" Wearing the same smile she had when she started talking, she resumes her seat, the yellow dress flowing behind her, as she cups her fingers in front of her and stares back into your eyes.

---

(Well, folks... At this rate, we might actually make it to disk two of twenty, but not for awhile. Heheh! I'm pretty excited... Although I can be a brutal DM, so let me know if I'm being </3. Anyway, Cat, to answer your question; think of yourselves as the 'ideal you'. You still have your flaws, and I'll trust you all to rp that ( ), but you can look however you like, have the skills you *know* you should have, and be as fantastic or as normal as you enjoy - in appearance. Ability-wise, if everyone had a few skills/abilities they were very good at, a moderate amount they were decent at, and a large pool of mediocre skills, that'd be awesome(skills being melee weapons/linguistics/driving/computer programming/IWBTG speed-moding, not fireballs or flight); although I'd love it if people put together basic 'character sheets', I've never minded running without them, and I trust everyone to continue doing sheetless just fine. If you'd enjoy it though, I can get a basic draft up for y'all to consider? Anyway, thanks guys... I'm really enjoying this. I'm only sorry I've kept disappearing, gwargh.)

[dsk]

Pick up the shotgun, look for extra ammo, and read the letter.

[Dagnarok]

Oh goodie... a dead guy.... >_>;;;

Slowly walk toward the television monitors while pointing my shotgun (and looking) at the... umm... dead guy. >_>;;;

When I reach the television monitors, if he hasn't done anything, face and turn the monitors on.  Should he, for some reason, get up, initiate a conversation.

[Kitty]

"I very much appreciate you telling me all this, and especially your offer to help. One thing, tho'-"
*gulp*
"Has anyone ever actually won?"

((If appearance is up to us then I'm going with standard internet me, aka my avatar XP ))

[Amber]

Dsk: You take the shotgun from the man's cold fingers, and notice a spent shell casing roll out from under it as you do so. The metal is cool to your touch, and a quick check shows that there are four shells inside. The metal crates all around you don't seem to have too much inside of them, although you do manage to find three extra shells in one of the "ФГУП" boxes. However, one thing you do notice is the small, light-green plastic aerosol can hanging just inside one of the pockets of the man on the ground. It's definately empty, however a quick search reveals a nearby plastic packaging case with space for three of the spraycans. One is missing, and the other two, quite full, are inside. You can partially determine it's use from the messages on the packaging and the backs of the cans ('Lunescent quik-fix easy heal spray mends bones, bruises, and broken hearts' 'the quick aid that aids quickly' and 'the spray that applies itself(TM)').

Ignoring your finds, you turn back to the letter, humid air pumping through the limited ventilation shafts as you bend down to pick up the letter in your fingers; again, it seems almost deliberately aged, a thin layer of dust covering the surface; but the paper definately can't be that old. Ignoring the brief red speckling from what looks increasingly like a self-inflicted wound, you let your gaze trail down the letter, which appears to be from an old friend...

Sweet songbird,

How long has it been
since that day. perhaps
it was my fault for yelling
at you the day before
because
what happened was too sad
that one should treat a lover
like that
but I did
didn't I
Didn't I?
the plants are all around
me and I don't
want to see you again
so I'll wait here
until you return
and then I'll make you love me
too
don't go to heaven,
now,
darling.

Love you

---

Lieutenant Ragnarok: I'm sorry, player. I must have misheard you; what dead guy are you talking about? There doesn't seem to be anyone matching that description here. Regardless, you move cautiously toward the monitors, keeping the comforting feel of the shotgun close as you take in the area; it's actually quite comfortable. There is indeed a roaring fireplace, several ugly green couches, two lazy-boy chairs, and as you get closer to the monitors, you notice a little green fake potted plant. Also of note are several large, important-looking books laying open on the floor; something about them draws your gaze to them, although on closer inspection, there insides are completely empty. You want to look further, but first look back to the monitors.

All seven stare back at you, completely empty, grey screens lifeless. You look around, and quickly find a power line; thanks to your flipping earlier, the soft thrum of electricity can be heard throughout the line, leading to a small black switchbox. It's currently set to 'off', so you give it a swift flick and

Immediately fall back from the combined white noise of seven different monitors turned on at full volume; the static is so loud that you can feel your ears reverberating, and briefly wonder if you aren't going to start bleeding. Stumbling around, you collapse to the floor as you hear the wizard leap to his feet; but just as quickly as it started, the roaring noise stops, and all of the monitors turn off, except for one, which shows... A bathroom? It's almost funny, and you're just be happy to pull yourself to your feet, although you do wonder why someone installed a camera in a bathroom...

Gathering your thoughts as you get up, the wizard rushes into the room, panting. "Hey, hey! Are you all right? I heard this loud noise, and my dreams got fuzzy, and I- Say, is that a real fire?" His eyes widen, and then he turns back to you. "Just glad to hear yer all right though. Sheesh. You like like you got in a fight or something... You need any help?"

---

Cat: Liz has been very quiet as you speak, her face emotionless. It seems like she's taken in every word you've said, even though she's a complete stranger, but that all ends as she cuts your sentance off with one word, with all the tension and sharpness of a razorblade.

"No."

Smiling again, she raises a finger to her lips, still staring straight at you, before turning around in a flurry of yellow, her dress trailing behind her as she takes small steps towards the only light in the room; the soft, pale light of the two paper lanterns. Leaning her face next to them, she closes her eyes...

And blows them out.

The room is engulfed in darkness, and all the warmth and safety you felt seems to vanish with the light. Like a ghost, you can make out Elizabeth's form, still next to the lantern, her eyes looking preturenaturely large in the dim light. You can just make out her features as she turns back to face you, with the same unreadable expression you saw earlier. "No one has ever made it out alive. It's not so terrible living as a Guardian..." She mutters this quietly, almost like she's trying to reassure herself, while taking a step around the table towards you; you can hear the faint sound of her bare feet hitting the floor. "Cat...  I really enjoyed meeting you. But I think I should walk you to the next checkpoint. I don't think you can be harmed while you are in my territory... But I'm not sure." Although trying to sound composed, you can just make out her eyes darting from left to right, nervously. "I, ah, have a flashlight around here, somewhere... Or can you see all right?"

There's a faint scratching, just barely noticeable, coming from far, far, off down the corridor.

(AGH AGH AGH, I had such a better complete post for everyone, and I lost it. So sorry if this one seems rushed... And hehe, for playing TF2 instead of posting. )

[Kitty]

"I can see okay, but..."
pulls out the flashlight
"I have one already."
Click it on.
"Liz... what's coming here?"
Pull gun back out as well, holding it down.
The flashlight beam is clearly shaking left and right, up and down due to arm shaking.

[Dagnarok]

Who doesn't need a vacation Amber? XP

Anyway.... (I guess I should start using quotation marks for speaking now shouldn't I?)

"I found a couple of large books in the room.  Can I get you to look through them for me?  I went through them earlier, but rather quickly and didn't give much attention to them.  I don't want to miss anything."

I'm guessing these are like some sort of security surveillance, therefore a recording must have taken place.

Examine the monitor for any sort of recording tape/device.  If there isn't any on the monitor, then search the room for any sort of recording tape/device.

If there is no recording tape/device in the room, then... well... we'll wait and see.

[dsk]

"We hope you die entertaining Ly"

OH GOD NO. Who is Ly?
And don't ignore the finds, pick the first-aid sprays up!

[Amber]

Cat: Keeping your aim steady isn't easy... Especially when you can still hear that same, droning, scratch, louder than your heart beating, louder than the blood in your ears. Liz is quiet at first, then grabs your hand. "I don't know how he got permission to get here, but it's someone who doesn't play by the rules... Not that it doesn't matter, because he never considered himself a Guardian. He's just someone who..." She bites her lip. "I wish we had more time. Cat, not everyone who fails becomes Guardians, and it's not as if all the contestants die. Some just free their minds by destroying everything that made them human."

You try to keep concentrating on her voice, looking through the doorway as the beam of your flashlight sways slightly, patches of light illuminating nothing but gray, bleak corridors. Liz's voice seems to get fainter and softer as the scratching gives away to a rumbling thump. Something bounces as it hits metal, scrabbles to it's feet, and is rushing down the hallway. Liz catches your eye, her own eyes bright and focused. "Cat. I really don't want to risk your... I don't want you to have to fight if you don't have to. We can run, if you like... And I'll do my best to protect you, whatever you decide. But..." Unable to finish her words, she just stares out into the hallway, as the rumbling of four gangly limbs on metal gets closer and closer...

---
 
Lieutenant Ragnarok: "Will do, chief!" Unshaken, now that you seem to be a hundred percent all right, the wizard ambles over to the books and one open with a long finger sticking through his patched-up gloves. He seems to get lost in looking through the blank pages, although you have no idea why. Going back to your own tasks, you take a look back up at the (mostly) grey monitors, displaying nothing but a field of monochrome, except for one lonely bathroom. Quite unsuitable for a cheerful room like this! You pace around the monitors, and don't find anything that looks like a recording box, dvd player, modified victrola, vcr, little black box... It seems they aren't hooked up to anything. But you know enough to know there'll be a recording, somewhere.

You walk towards one of of the bookshelves and look behind it; they're surprisingly light. Some of the books fall off when you do so, but you aren't worried; you look at the fireplace next, looking for any hidden nooks that could have a power cable and security tapes; but again, nothing catches your eye. You look through the last bookshelf, almost ready to have given up, when you knock several of the books off with a swing of your arms, and they fall open onto the floor... Revealing immaculately labeled video cassetes, with labels like 1958 Challenge One Group A Dortmund and 1992 Bonus Round Pt2: Corey versus Amanda. You rush to the other bookshelves and flip open the books; the same. Checking behind the ottoman that the Blue Wizard is no reclinging on, and lost in thought... You find a video cassete player. Which raises the question... What's going on here?

---

Dsk: Player, I told you the message. Where on earth did you find that out? Don't worry, player. I wouldn't lie to you.
You pick up the first aid-sprays, and tuck them into your pocket. It's nice to know that if you have to make a mad dash out to the plant room, you'll be able to at least mend your wounds up a bit. Your thoughts are disturbed by the pounding of metal: Not coming from the door, as you might expect, but far above. It sounds like something is running throughout a corridor, with all the speed it can muster. It's making quite a noise, and it's kind of hard to concentrate... You take stock of the room again though, with a grate leading downward(into sewers? Unlikely, but not impossible), a ventilation shaft leading left, and a door to the south, barred and shut.

A flicker of the earlier message you read pops up into your mind, and something tells you that if you could examine the 'crate' or whatever those vines had been swarming over earlier, you might have been able to find out more... But it's also obvious that isn't an option right now. A shotgun is a powerful weapon, but useless against something like a pissed-off plant. And all these letters make you realize that it's quite possible there are other people out there, and where there are people, there's going to be someone who knows what the hell is going on. With this thought, you hear the thumping dissipate... Sounds like it's either gone away, or reached it's destination.

---

(And so the games begin.. <3!)

[Kitty]

...
"If I make it out of here, you're getting out of here with me. Even if..."
Squeeze her hand.
"Besides, I can run pretty fast."
Give her a quick hug, then dash out the door with her, running in the opposite direction from the noise.