this chaos, this calamity

[rosestolilies]

Characters: The Queen of Hearts (rosestolilies) and any PCs who come after her.
Date: Starting Thursday, March 24th and continuing until Tuesday, March 29th.
Summary: The Queen is trapped in the Labyrinth, along with her promises of home. What's to be done but go and find her?
Warnings: Creepiness tailored to the characters.

Comments

[heretolookhot]

She'd been passing by the Labyrinth from time to time after the Queen's little episode the other day. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea, considering all of the creepy weirdness that seemed to happen around here. She didn't even have any kind of superpowers to defend herself, like half the other people here. This time, though, Santana didn't care. She wanted to go home, back to school and the Cheerios and her bedroom and glee and Brittany.

So when she got the chance, she walked in, jaded enough by now not to be mystified by the flame dancing between her fingers.

[toys_with]

There was a ruffling sound, like many layers of skirts brushing over each other and the ground, before Ciel stepped from around a corner slightly a head of Santana. She held her own small flame higher to look at the person she'd run into.

"Miss Lopez. What a surprise," she nodded. She wasn't particularly in the mood to bait the older girl, considering she actually had a task to complete.

"I assume you're looking for the Queen of Hearts as well?"

[heretolookhot]

Awesome. Just the girl she wanted to see.

"Nope, I just like to wander around among the shrubbery maze. I do this every weekend," she replied, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, I'm looking for the Queen. Turns out, one of those kidnapping freaks has a little bit of common sense."

[toys_with]

"Common sense would have been better served before dragging us into this place."

Luckily for Santana, Ciel wasn't interested in chatting for long. Gesturing to a pathway on the right, she commented, "That way leads in a circle. It's pointless to go there. I would suggest this way."

She pointed towards another route, heading left.

[headedforhope]

[Mami had been on a sort of patrol earlier when she noticed the strange activity in front of the Labyrinth- a remnant of the times back home when she'd stalk dark city streets for the grotesque monsters that by their very nature drove ordinary, unsuspecting humans to madness and suicide. She would search and destroy, night after night, with hardly any time for anything else....not that she had any right to complain.

To be honest, as she cautiously lingers by the entrance, Mami isn't sure just what to think about the Queen's promises of home and safe return. Not only had she died, she didn't exactly have much to go back to: Madoka and Sayaka were most likely dead because of her failure, and her house would be as empty as always

[thunder_ace]

[Unknowingly to the younger blonde, Fate was following her. Well... not really, she just happened to be taking the same path through the Labyrinth.

She too had been on patrol, looking for any sign, any clue that could help them find the Queen. She wasn't sure which side she should take in this coup, but it would be wise to at least seek out both sides and gather as much information she could.

And then she had found the flower petal; this was definitely one hell of a clue. So she followed the ever-increasing light, and had eventually found herself in front of the Labyrinth's entrance. With a quick mental message to Hayate, she headed inside.]

[uberlikehermama]

[Vivio wasn't sure about this when she had first grabbed the petal, but the fact that it was glowing had to mean something, right?

And well, it got brighter when she went to certain places, so that's what she was doing, until she made it to the Labyrinth entrance just in time to see Fate-mama go inside of it.

Well, she wasn't going to let her Fate-mama go alone, not with what had happened with Flandre. So there she went, following after her.]

[headedforhope]

[Deeper and deeper, moving ever downward into the Labyrinth, Mami keeps up a brisk yet watchful pace. She's coiled like a spring, her body tense and ready for action; it would be a lie to say that transforming hadn't crossed her mind long before. Although to be honest, part of why she keeps pushing the idea away is because Mami never tested to see if her Soul Gem hasn't somehow been tampered with yet....she would regret this, if she had any time for that.

The choice was thus: transform and risk attracting whatever lurked down here with the unavoidable light display, or continue as is? She was already putting herself in a great deal of risk as it was.....nevermind the fact it was something she couldn't help but be used to.]

open to anyone ever

[dia_f]

She isn't down in the labyrinth looking for the Queen. Really, she can't possibly care any less about the whole monarchy/uprising unresolved thing. It's Jacob's collar she's still got tingling around her throat and until somebody finds some new magical way to make her behave, she isn't in the market for a replacement authority figure.

The labyrinth is, however, the most interesting thing to happen since Kitty Surprise day at the cafeteria, so here she is.

She ditches the little flame immediately upon entry, because it makes her uneasy and hell she's indestructible and a monster. There's nothin' in the dark she hasn't been living with for the past hundred years.

She heads out into the shadows and starts stalking.

[kneebruises]

Heading out alone in the dark terrifies her, but to say that she isn't used to it would be a lie. Sasha lives in the dark most of the time, even if she does have her flash light, lighters and matches with her all the time. The flash light she's using, however, seems to light much less than it usually does and she is definitely walking in a much slower pace than she's used to and any little noise she hears (almost as if her own footsteps scare her) make her wince, stop, and look around, illuminating as much as she can

warnings: dot's got gorey narrative and is probably about to be terrible

[dia_f]

She recognizes Sasha, didn't get the bitch's name and didn't particularly care to know it, but she recognizes that trembling little creature, the smell of fear and sweat. Dottie's no bloodhound, but she and fear have an acquaintanceship, it's an intoxicating thing, hooks you the very first time you see it in its raw form--(first time you rip somebody's arm off with brute strength, the first time you time you tie somebody down and make them watch while you eat their flesh, the first time you and a pack of replicants circle and laugh like hyenas, savoring the fear before going in for the kill.)

Dot's not much of a hunter, not like some of the others, sly and quick. She fit in much better with Baramue and Rook: hungry and crass, and hungry. Not much of a hunter, but she holds still in the dark for a moment, watching that light waver in trembling hands. She smiles. She steps forward after a moment, coming forward to brush Sasha's light out of her face.

"Out all alone again, aren't you."

you can go all out bb

[kneebruises]

The light stays pointed at Dot, at least until some sound that is more menacing than the thing smiling at her comes up. Sasha tenses up, which is not so visible under all those hideously large clothing with the hood pulled over her face, but any monster can certainly smell it.

She opens and closes her mouth like a fish out of water, no word coming out, before deciding to press her lips in a thin line, chewing on the inside of her bottom lip nervously. She looks all around without moving her head much, eyes like those of an apprehensive rat.

"I guess s-so," she finally stammers out in the form of a pitiful squeak, taking steps back as Dot closes in.

open to team ffxiii, feat. batgirl

[gravityfists]

[ she's certainly dressed for the occasion. She's got a freshly magicked-up Batsuit on, complete with all the usual little gadgets, lenses slid down over her eyes. Theoretically, she should be able to see in the dark, but as things stand, the petal she's picked up is doing a better job of lighting the way than any technology. With her boomstick in hand (read: a thin metal staff), she quickly and carefully makes her way down the staircase, light on her feet, lest anything crumble beneath her ]

Everyone else hears that, right? Please tell me you do, 'cause I'm not up for being the only one hearing creepy snippets of song.

Re: open to team ffxiii, feat. batgirl

[brands]

[Fang's a little behind, glances back periodically to make sure the others are following. She's got one of the petals grasped in her hand, and she can hear the singing, broken off in pieces, thin and whispery. It's eerie.]

Yeah, I hear it. [Her voice is not quite a whisper, but it's low. She has no idea if it'll cause a rockslide if things get too loud.] This place is nice and homey, huh? The impenetrable darkness adds a nice touch.

[ofatonement]

I can hear it too. ( Hope's voice is not much louder than Fang's own as her focus falls forward. She continues to keep close to the group as they make their way down the staircase, but she finds it hard not to be distracted by fractured pieces of singing that reach them. )

It's, uh, it's really something else... ( But that could be said about this whole world. )

[recalls]

( Vanille's sandwiched between Fang and Hope, one hand gripping the back of Fang's sari, glowing petal in the other. The heels of her boots click against the steps, but the sound does nothing to drown out the strange tune.

She nods, though it's probably hard for any of the others to see her. ) Me, too. What do you think it is?

Open, nothing planned

[peachhat]

Tenshi smiled as she entered the labyrinth. That was more like it!

Keeping the petal close, while using her glowing sword to give additional light, she entered the labyrinth without fear.
After all, this was how it should go.

It was an invitation, wasn't it? They wanted people to go down there, and she was not one to reject such an offer!
Sure, she wondered what kind of obstacles awaited her, what kind of enemies she'd fight, but well...that was she was here for.

And, hey, it was what shrine maidens did! Which was, of course, the main reason. She wasn't bored and looking for fights, or anything. Surely not!

As she moved deeper into the labyrinth, she did not stick to tactics like "always left" and instead alternated between both directions, while remembering where she started. She was looking forward to what she'd find!

Re: Open, nothing planned

[lovelikelight]

As she walks through the Labyrinth, Epsilon's body is lit up, much like the petal become flame, although her light is golden and not white.

She stops suddenly as she sees the young woman carrying not only a flame, but a glowing sword. It's quite a sight.

"Hello." She smiles.

Re: Open, nothing planned

[peachhat]

"Hello." Tenshi said, waving at the other person. Who she didn't know, sadly, meaning she didn't know if Epsilon was with the Queen's hench(wo)men or not.

"...Say, who are you?"

She wondered if that was the traditional 'first boss'. But nah, she'd not be that lucky.

[lovelikelight]

"My name's Epsilon." She returned Tenshi's wave, good-naturedly. "I came down here looking for the Queen." Though she couldn't go home herself, she was concerned for the other people who were trapped in the Gardens, and if the Queen was being held here--it didn't seem right that anyone should be held prisoner, just because they'd wanted to send people home. "I assume you had the same idea?"