TEST DRIVE #1.

[worldkeys]

PROMPT 1: A SWEET, SWEET DREAM. You wake up in a strange place, the smell of chocolate assailing you. The house you're in, the beds you (and the people around you) are in... all of it is made of candy, chocolate, licorice. Various confections. Lots of it is sticky. A slow fireplace crackles away behind you. It's a small, cozy cottage, and outside it's dusk. Going outside leads to woods filled with more candy shooting out of the ground, until it abruptly stops. Trying to navigate leads to an impasse, an endlessness of woods, bringing you right back to the small cottage. A well sits outside the house for drawing water, but... even the water seems to be thin chocolate. What an odd place this is. The walls are made of gingerbread. A dream like this... seems a bit crazy, doesn't it? But if you think hard enough, you can almost recall something vague. A cat, a closet. Someone mentioning a Dream. Some Keys. A strange Rabbit person... but is that really important when you're in a house filled with sweets like this? Who knows what else you could find? ... Mind the mushrooms growing all over the house's floor and the forest's pathways, and read the signs carefully. Because if you eat them... THAT food might not treat you well. (This prompt will allow you and your fellows to explore the an example of someone's Storybook together, without interruption, and see what kinds of things might result. The Cheshire Cat might pop up at any given time; other things may happen, too, at the mods' discretion, but you are otherwise free to rummage the house and tear it apart, wander the forest, get lost, find strange puzzles and riddles, fall down dark holes, find trails of breadcrumbs, old burnt buildings... but you'll come right back in a loop, essentially. This is an exploration prompt.) PROMPT 2: GOOD NOONING, ALICE! You opened that cupboard, and maybe you shouldn't have. But now you're here, and you're not alone. A grumpy person with a torn ear and black, branch-like hair, stands before you, tapping his foot in impatience. His eyes unsettle you. They're red on black, no whiteness at all. His outfit is old, Victorian-seeming, but his voice is young. Too young. And something about this place, filled with dead trees, cracked cobblestone, and several tombstones... it's vaguely unsettling. The lighting here doesn't help. And you can't shake the feeling you're missing something vital you once had, before, now a huge gap, just gone. Powers? Those, too. Gone. Weapons? Also gone. "... Is this all of you, then?" He says, looking at the group assembled. "Well... greetings. I am the White Rabbit, and I will be your guide, Alice. Now, let me explain how this wo--" He's about to launch into a familiar spiel when a strange creature wearing a hood pops up out of the darkness around you, leaning on someone nearby. It might be you, it might be the person next to you, but he seems to have no concept of personal space. He twirls, letting out a purr. "Oh, let them ask the questions themselves this time, yer puttin' me to sleep! Talk to me instead, Alice... and Alice! And Alice! Mweeheehee! I'm way better company~!" ... Oh, boy. Looks like all of you had better figure this thing out amongst yourselves, and also deal with... er, these two... characters. (This prompt will include separate threads from both NPCs and allow the characters to question them both about their situation, as well as meet one another.)

Comments

Ahito; Hibiki's Magic

[dyingtohealyou]

[1]

[Ahito sets off alone into the woods, his hands stuffed into his pockets as he stalks along through the forest. This is... probably just a dream. A really friggin' bizarre dream, but a dream nonetheless. There's just no other explanation that makes much sense. Even if magic could be somehow capable of this, there's no real reason to throw a guy like him into a forest made of... candy, whether as a punishment or a reward. He's a terrible student, but that's all he is - a troublemaker, not someone who deserves... whatever this is. It would just be way too much effort for small fry like him.

So, dream it is. Eventually, he stops by one of those candy stick "trees," nudging it with his shoe.]

...Pretty weird, though. It's not like I went to bed hungry...

[At least, not that he remembers.]

[2]

[And here are the culprits. He looks decidedly unimpressed by their antics. Once it becomes clear that neither are really explaining anything, he raises a hand with a lazy sort of air, his voice loud and blunt.]

Fine. Question: what the heck is this place?

[Might as well get that one out of the way.]

2. So very 2.

[apatheticguide]

[ The Rabbit clears his throat, trying to quiet the Cat. He prays to quiet the Cat. He rather believes this shall fail, spectacularly, but he presses on with a gloomy sigh afterwards. ]

This is the World, of course. That's a stupid question, Alice. Don't you have a better one? It's not your world, of course. It is its own place, with its own rules. And I am afraid you are... rather stuck here, unfortunately. All of you.

[dyingtohealyou]

[Great. That was... a totally useless answer.]

First of all, my name's not Alice, it's Ahito. Second of all, how was I supposed to know that? It's not like either of you are explaining anything.

1

[barkingchaos]

I didn't go to bed hungry, either. [The voice that comes from behind him is female, and if he turns to look, he'll see an albino 18 year old girl in worn, baggy clothing smiling at him. Her long silver hair moves a little as she tilts her head slghtly at the 'tree' he was nudging.] I don't really mind it, though. Trying chocolate for the first time was fun!

[dyingtohealyou]

[Oh.

Hey, 'sup.]

...You didn't just try to eat anything here, did you?

hajime hinata ⦿ super danganronpa 2

[hopedout]

⦿ one.

[ The smell of chocolate lures him awake rather easily as he jumps up, eyes widening as they stare at the roof above him. It's not the first time he's woken up staring at an unfamiliar ceiling, and he jolts himself up onto his feet as he realizes... something is missing. There's a frisson of disconnect as he tries to recall what it is, but no cigar.

He'll figure it out later.

For the time being, it's best to do what he normally did back on the island. Investigate. He's definitely looking at every nook and cranny here, and the longer he stares, the more he can't help the sigh that tempts to escape from his lips, running a hand through his hair as he can't help but wrinkle his nose at all this. ]

This definitely is weird... [ He muses aloud, a little exhausted, but not enough to go back to sleep on chocolate floors. (Is that real chocolate, though? He's not certain.)

Flagging down the first person with a nonchalant wave, he manages to tug his lips into a rather tired smile. ] Hey, you don't happen to know where we are, do you?

[ Basics first. ]

⦿ two.

[ He can't help but shake the unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach as he looks at the duo rather incredulously. It's definitely rather awkward when the person he's trying to talk to one, perhaps both of them. ]

If you're answering questions, then I've got one. Were you the ones that took my name?

two

[apatheticguide]

[ The Rabbit glances at the Cat, but then gives a light shrug. So that's what happened to him, hmmm? ... How amusing. For once, their nicknames are on point.

... Everyone here is Alice, after all. ]

... Couldn't tell you, Alice. Everyone is Alice, here.

[hopedout]

[ He doesn't know about that... though he can guess that Alice has something to do with the titular character in the Wonderland series. ]

Then, how do you differentiate them if you call them all Alice? [ The idea of him being the same as everyone else is unsettling, and it bothers him more than anything else here. ]

One

[dyingtohealyou]

I'm trying to figure that out, myself.

[He scratches at his head, looking put-upon, though not panicked. He's still fairly convinced it's all just some very bizarre dream.]

Looks weirdly tasty though, don't you think?

[hopedout]

[ Someone in the same boat as him? While it does bother him, it's not something that he hasn't experienced himself. He wonders if they're the only two here, and while he wants to think that this is just a dream, something niggling in the back of his head seems to say otherwise. ]

You can smell it, too. I wouldn't recommend eating it, though. Have you seen anybody else yet? [ He's asking because he wants to know if there's more of them, naturally. At this point, his investigative skills have kicked in. ]

2 obviously

[patchworkcat]

Your name? You bet'cha. It was interesting.

[ The cat's grin is far too wide to be human, and it seems to grow even wider at that question, his single eye narrowing. Oh, this one's already figured out what was stolen, not that it was hard. But this makes it more fun. ]

Besides. You don't need that name here, Alice.

[hopedout]

Interesting?

[ His breath comes harsh through his nose as he tenses up. While it isn't his first time having something stolen from him, the fact that the only name that he can recall that belongs to 'him' in a sense is a name that he doesn't want to go by sends him on edge. ]

How the hell is stealing something that's important to them interesting?! [ Voice rising, he stands his ground, clearly pissed. His hands clench into tight balled fists and his voice reverberates through the room. It's clear to him now that these guys are just like Monokuma.

While he's tempted to go and beat them up right there and then, he knows better from personal experience what will likely happen if he does. Just because he's lost his temper doesn't mean, however, that he's lost his mind. ]

1/2

[hellayeah]

[ Sonia seems to be considering eating a little bit of the counter in the kitchen she's broken off. It's candy cane, isn't it? It should be safe, right? She drops it immediately upon seeing a classmate, though. ]

Ah! You're here as well -

[ ???-san.

...Uh, wait, what? ]

2/2

[hellayeah]

[ Her bright smile drops immediately and her questions about this being a new trick by Monokuma fade away as Sonia puts her right hand to her cheek. ]

...? E-er, please forgive me! It'll come to me in a moment!

[hopedout]

... Sonia? What is it?

[ There's curiosity in his eyes. It's clear that even though he expects to see her after everything that's happened, but his glance at her clearly means that he doesn't get what she's confused about. Not at first, though. Maybe it's because he's trying to ignore the niggling in the back of his head that tells him that something's wrong. ]

one

[barkingchaos]

Nuh-uh, I don't. [The 18 year old he's managed to flag down is interesting to look at - 5 foot 5 inches, average in all respects except for the obvious albinism she has. Her long silver hair moves a little from side to side as she finishes munching on one of the table legs, some of it still in one of her hands. There's obvious chocolate stains on her worn, baggy clothing, too.] It's really tasty, wherever we are!

Ken Amada | Persona 3 | AU/CRAU

[miseris_socios]

[1]

[He tries to ignore the smell of chocolate and figure out where he is, but it's... tempting. Even though things are better at home now, now that everything has finally ended, there's still days where he's afraid he'll wake up hungry - or worse, back there. This? This is a strange dream for him. His don't usually end up in fantasy, unless it's Featherman R-based.]

[He gets up and reaches for his Evoker, but it's... gone. Right, this really is a dream, then. He heads out and starts walking. A forest? ... Fine. He grabs a tree branch and holds it like a spear, vaguely grumbling to himself. He'll figure this out.]

[2]

[People. Weird people, but people at least. And they're not in medical outfits at least, so they don't remind him of Jason. But the way they're talking reminds him of Ruana, and that's just unsettling. He's going to have to be really careful here. He tries to think of a reasonable question, one that might get some real answers out of them, but the first thing that comes out of his mouth is -]

Give me back my Evoker!

2

[apatheticguide]

[ Wow, kid. He hates when the children panic. He heaves the gloomiest of sighs. ]

... That face you're making... it's going to make everyone uncomfortable, Alice.

1

[dyingtohealyou]

Wow, look at you. Already armed and ready to go, huh?

[Don't mind the teen with the weirdly bright eyes suddenly appearing at your side. He can be a sneaky little shit when he puts his mind to it.]

[patchworkcat]

Sure. You can have it if you find it.

[ That's how it works. Those are the rules. ]

Rahti | OC

[barkingchaos]

1 [These weren't the blankets she'd fallen asleep on. Sitting up, Rahti stretched - smelling the sugary sweetness all around her. Had someone taken her somewhere else in the night, without waking her up? That shouldn't be possible...even if the people in the town had noticed her and wanted her somewhere else, she would have woken up when she got picked up. Wouldn't she? Rubbing the sleepiness out of her eyes, the albino 18 year old got up and began to inspect the house. Everything seemed like it was made of candy, even the chocolate that Master had always warned her away from. There was a vague sense of something else in her mind that she should remember; something about keys? ...Ah well. She'd remember if it was important, but for now? She was too busy stuffing parts of the house into her mouth, to see how it all tastes. Delicious.] 2 [This was wrong. In this place, she could tell that her body wasn't right. The place where she'd woken up before hadn't caused her to feel so ill at ease, so...utterly wrong. She'd confirmed it with moving one of her fingers, trying to make it blob up or twist in impossible ways. nothing. And she was warm, instead of being the temperature of her surroundings. Was she...human? Facing the two 'guides', the long-haired girl in the worn, baggy clothing shifts around uncomfortably, hand going to touch her neck in an attempt to soothe herself - only to remember that her collar isn't there anymore.] What...what did you do? [Her voice is shaky, unsure.] Where's my collar? Why am I like - why aren't I me?

2

[apatheticguide]

I didn't do anything.

[ Simple. ]

And I suppose, Alice, I don't know. Why AREN'T you you? ... Seems a bit wasteful to be badgering me with inane questions like this. I don't really care for pointless ones.

1

[hesmypuddin]

[Harley is skipping rope with a lengthy cord of licorice when she catches sight of Rahti chewing on various parts of the house.]

Ya know, kid... yer gonna make herself sick if ya keep that up... [She speaks with a heavily accented voice, the Brooklyn twang unmistakeable to anyone from the states.]

Harley Quinn || Batman: tAS

[hesmypuddin]

[1]
[As if Harley Quinn wasn't an odd enough sight as it was, dressed (even in this dream) in her standard black and red harlequin costume. However, she seems to have found a five foot length of licorice wand and is actively skipping rope inside the gingerbread home.]

Don't step on'a crack or you'll fall an' break yer back.

[She seems to be smiling, but there is a noted lack of humor in her tone; as if she's perhaps she's having fun but not altogether happy about it.

Honestly, she seems pretty unfazed by the general scenario she's found herself in within her dreams. Hell, a candy house that resembled a particularly unpleasant nursery tale was pretty tame in comparison to some dreams that Harley woke from.

She pauses in her skipping rope, however, as she notices that there are others now in the room with her. Scowling, she folds her arms beneath her breasts and stomps over.]

Hey, ya mook... find yer own dream!

[2]
[Harley listens to the exchange between the two figures before her, paying attention to them currently and not the others that have invaded her dreamscape. She cants a brow sharply, shifting the line of her mask slightly as she does so.]

Alice? [A beat, voice tinged with doubt.] The White Rabbit? [Sorry, Rabbit, but she can't possibly hide the derision that colors her tone now. She folds her arms and shifts her weight from one hip to the other.]

Well, color me unimpressed, palsy, but... I am. [There is a coldness to her tone that isn't typical for the Cupid of Crime, but she pays it no mind. After all, this is all only a dream, right? She wasn't required to be happy all the time, but weren't dreams supposed to be where the nicest and prettiest things happened.

She hoped she didn't wake up this cranky... Meh.

Her gaze flits to the kid with the hood, lips quirking into a smirk.]

Lemme guess... I suppose that makes ya... What? The Cheshire Cat? Ya sure ain't the Hatter...

[A beat, then...]

Nice ears.

2

[apatheticguide]

Impressing you, Alice, is the last thing I care about. The pressing matter, to me, is the returning of the World Keys.

[ Nothing more, and nothing less. To see someone crankier than himself, though... it's immediate to him what his constant nuisance companion has stolen. He surveys her, red on black eyes giving her an up and down glance. A most curious Alice indeed. Most. Curious. ]

... Do you want to wake up at all, I wonder?