BREAK-IN: Akira, Ash, Belph & Phoenix

[gatonina]

Comments

[axilium]

Great, you can join Ash in the potentially poisoned party.

[he's going to head over to the dolls and lift their faces up.]

[slobjection]

... Feel like we all might have to get pricked for this to work.

[ he is also looking up, since belph has the dolls covered ]

[gatonina]

[A drop of something red and viscous wells up where Akira got pricked. Hm.

Looking at the ceiling right past the door, they will find




a whole ass doll.

Hyper-realistic. Uncanny valley in all its glory. And very much Barbie doll anatomy. Its face has been stripped off, preventing them from identifying it as anybody they know. Just like Ash's face under the Brilith mask, a metal skeleton is visible between the mess. The skin is cracked and melted in places. Motor oil sluggishly drips from its missing face and injuries.

Since Belph is checking out the four dolls, he will realize they have been stripped of their faces as well. A metal skull is visible among the mess of motor oil. However, now that he's this close, he will notice all four dolls have something else in common. One of their hands is balled into a fist, and the other has the index finger pointing at something. The direction in which they are pointing seems different for all of them.]

[voidbreaker]

[ lovely. ]

Wonder how it got stuck up there?

[ still. he's not going to dwell on it. he lowers his gaze and looks over at the dolls belph is messing with. ]

... What's in their hands? [ he'll look in the direction the one belph is messing with is pointing, before testing to see if he can get the doll's hand open. ]

[survivaltricks]

[gently whispers I hate this]

Somehow the mansion was waaaaay less creepy than— this?

[ANYWAY time to examine the lower right room]

[axilium]

Let's see...

[well, he'll check out all the other dolls to see if they're holding anything + what they're pointing at.]

[gatonina]

[Their fists are pretty tight. How much force will Ash and Belph exert opening them? Looking at their fingers, though, they seem to point to the four other doors in the room. Upper left, upper right, lower left and lower right.

I forgot to mention this, but the four rooms have windows like in the previous area. It's dark inside, and Akira will catch a glimpse of his reflection as he walks past it. Lovely. Opening the lower right room will cause the lights to flicker on inside, and reveal an assembly room identical to the one he previously visited. The monitor is there again, START? displayed on the touchscreen. The door will lock behind Akira once he enters.]

[voidbreaker]

[ he's going to try Very Hard to get it open, and should he not succeed, wander over to the upper-right to see what's going on over there.

but he does pause to look at the room akira's trapped himself in, a little exasperated. ]

You okay in there?

[survivaltricks]

[. . . bangs on the door with his crutches. again]

Nope, I'm dead now. Avenge me.

[anyway he will examine the start panel next! and touch it to begin this puzzle]

[axilium]

Well, the dolls are pointing to those rooms... You two can do whatever, but I'm going to hate life and follow Akira's suit.

[which is to say he'll go into the top-right room and also press START if the panel is there again. hit him.]

[gatonina]

[He will snap a little fingie off in exchange for his attempts. Red motor oil gushes out, wires flopping loose from the severed appendage. But, no. The fists won't open.

The four rooms are the same when they walk into them. Ash can have (throws dart) lower left. Just so he can, you know, look through the window and see what's up with Akira. The doors slam shut behind them. Banging them with crutches, fists or whatnot will have no effect. The layout is the same as the previous assembly rooms, right down to the ominous touchscreen display. When Akira and Belph hit START?, they will both see different things.

Though they both read I. MAKE YOUR SELECTION: in the upper right corner, Akira's screen will display a 2D model of a human brain while Belph's will display a 2D image of a human body.]

[voidbreaker]

[ well. "they all need to contribute", right? ash'll just keep his fingie prize and wander into the upper left room as well.

lock him up, time to get this done. ]

[survivaltricks]

[calling out:]

Me too, Belph!

[i guess he is picking. . . brain]

[axilium]

... I don't think this is a selection anymore...

[picks body ig]

[gatonina]

[Ash's monitor will also read START?. Assuming he presses it, it will display I. MAKE YOUR SELECTION: with a 2D model of a human brain.

Belph and Akira will both see the same screen after tapping on their one remaining option. It reads:]

II. MAKE YOUR SELECTION:
> !!
> ...

[voidbreaker]

[ tippy tappy the brainy wainy ]

[survivaltricks]

[. . .]

[he is picking ! but only after some dubious hesitation]

[axilium]

[picks doot doot doot but also after some dubious hesitation]

[gatonina]

[Tippy tapping the brain will take Ash to the following selection screen:]

II. MAKE YOUR SELECTION:
> !!
> ?!

[After he taps the doot doot doot as per word of Becks, he will find himself in the same predicament as Akira and Belph. Which is to say, the gang will be hoisted up by the mechanical arms less than a second after making their choice. The following things will happen:

1. ... The arms, once again, awkwardly hover near Belph and do nothing.

2. The arm that carries the needle stabs into the back of Akira's head. It will feel less like it's forcing its way through flesh and bone, and more like it's poking through cheap plastic. Akira will get the sensation that something is being drained from him, and a moment later? He will find himself all the way back to Rank 1 Charm. Unfortunate!

3. Similarly, the needle stabs into the back of Ash's head. No flesh and bone there, sir. Only cheap plastic. He will get the sensation that something is being drained from him. Once the procedure is done, he will no longer be rude and untrusting. It's as if that personality trait has been removed from his being with surgical precision, leaving behind a void where they used to be.

The arms will drop them and retreat through the ceiling with their loot. The assembly room doors will unlock, and they can safely return to the main room if they wish.]

[voidbreaker]

[ when will belph suffer. more than y'know. usual. what with his [gestures at canon] and inability to get a smooch from steph, maybe.

well. back to the main room i guess. he sees no reason not to trust the nice doors opening for them.

where are they going next and will we escape before 2am ]

[survivaltricks]

[Akira is just]

[going to lie on his back and glower at the ceiling with a cranky scowl for a few seconds after he is dropped]

I TOOK A LOT OF BATHS FOR THAT CHARM!!!!

[. . . yeah okay I guess he's yelling into the void]

[anyway!]

[time to stand up and hobble awkwardly into the main room again???]

[axilium]

[??????? WHY ARE HIS ALWAYS BROKEN belph wonders

but that sure is a thing akira just shouted. belph heads back to the main room to see if the switch is now on and if he can press it. hopefully phoenix isn't dead.]

You did what now?

[gatonina]

[Phoenix is dead!




No. The needle stabbed into him, too, and drained something out of him. As of this point, he will no longer be paranoid. That aspect of his personality has been completely stripped away.

The switch is now on! The light beside POWER glows a bright red. If Belph presses it, he will head the door leading to the next room unlock. Nice.]

[voidbreaker]

What sort of charm does a bath give you?

[ well. now that belph has joined the recently stabbed club it's through the next door, right? come one come all, it's on to the next stage of this bizarre hell. ]

[survivaltricks]

Usually about two music notes' worth. . .

[fffffine. into the next room]

[though. not before commenting at Belph—]

Did they take anything at all from you?