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.)