luministi | ◌ 023 ◌ Watching us, watching them

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◌ 023 ◌ Watching us, watching them

[Video message to everyone:]

Good ...evening. Although it was light just a little while ago. Luministi sure knows how to set a mood!

I've just received an invitation to the festival that I cannot refuse. [She holds up a mask in front of her face for a moment.] Would anyone like to accompany me? Although, it wouldn't surprise me if you've all received an invitation too, in which case I'll see you there! ...Or not, with these masks. Mmm. Well, I'll be wearing this [she holds up the mask again] and a pink kimono. Please wave if you see me!

[Despite her cheerful banter she's quite serious about meeting others because this event has all the potential to be a trap. And danger is best faced as a team.]

[[ooc: I'm hoping one or two others might like to come with Fuu to the arches, but lots of mingling potential before she gets that far!
EDIT: Sophie and Fuu will be taking the right arch (#3) when they get that far ^.^]]

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[nods, following beside her] Yes. Did yours mention someone who wants to meet us?

Yes... If it's from the murderer, I have a personal interest in seeing him face-to-face.
But why even give us the chance to catch him? It's clear that he could evade us forever, if he wanted.

This town has a habit of giving us a lot of opportunities that perhaps it shouldn't. It seems to me that it does it purely because those in charge enjoy it.

[continues walking, making for the stone sundial]

As much as they enjoy making us suffer...
I'm very worried about the threat at the end of the note. It's impossible to tell what might come, but we should brace ourselves for the worst.

[Nothing in Luministi is far to walk to - it won't be long now.]

[frowns] Yes... I think it's very much like that.

Which is no different than it usually is in this town. [sighs]

[thankfully, they are coming up on the sundial now] Here we are. Do you think something might be here?

Mmm. Well, with clues that we'd been given, the sundials seem suspect. But I don't understand what my flame symbol has to do with it. [She starts digging around in her small but ever-present purse, then pulls out a lighter.]

I suppose it might have just been a whim, but seeing as this was given to the city by the Luministi Founders, and today is the celebration of the founding, I just wanted to see.

[She strikes the lighter and walks up close to the sundial, looking it over by the flame's light.]

[considers that thoughtfully for a moment, watching absently as Fuu pulls out her lighter] Ah, a sun and the hands of a clock. Yes, I see what you mean! [watches her intently now, hoping for a clue to appear] Do you see anything?

No... no. I'm sorry. That's pretty disappointing. [She comes back to the path, putting away the lighter.] But I suppose you can't find a clue everywhere. On the plus side, it's one less place to look.

[Sophie sighs, also disappointed] Yes, you're right. Shall we head to the festival then? Chances are there's at least something to find there.

I'm sure there will be! It's the main attraction, after all.

[So they meandered along the path up to the town square. Fuu felt faintly anxious about being in such a crowd, but she caught a glimpse of a mask she recognized and felt better for knowing her friends were out there.

For a while she mingled, not straying far from Sophie. It didn't take too long for her to notice the arches at the north end of the square, but she thought them just decoration until she realized something else. Making her way back to Sophie, she came up beside her and spoke softly,]

Miss Sophie, I think those three arches are meant for us.

[ooc: Is this good? I can tweak it if want something else! ^.^]

[Sophie wasn't so much anxious as impatient to discover something. the note had been a taunt, and she did not enjoy--nor appreciate--being taunted]

[when Fuu pointed out the arches, she turned to them, eyeing them for a moment] I do believe you're right. [without waiting for a response from Fuu, she started in that direction] Shall we go past one together? [she felt that she should ask, but even if Fuu said no, she was fully intending to take a look herself]

[ooc: This is perfect! I can't wait!]

[Quickly following after her, she nods her agreement.]

Absolutely. It seems to be what we were meant to do, after all. [She holds out the invitation card and points to the three arches at the bottom.]

But... which one?

I'm not certain... [points to the arch on the right] We could start there and see what happens.

Do you have any reason for it, Miss Sophie? The note implies that we'll only have one chance...

[she doesn't have any ideas, so she just meant to jump in. now that Fuu has asked her, though, she thinks for a moment] Well, the right is the side of good, isn't it? [which is basically like saying "the eldest of three will always fail," but there must be some truth to some of the sayings she grew up with. or so she hopes]

[Fuu laughs a little at that - it's a very English play on words. But then...]

Ahh, I was thinking that the card has three arches on it, so; one, two, three- [She points at them in turn, counting from right to left.]

But you made me think, perhaps it should be the English way, from left to right! [She points at the right arch.]

So I suppose we are agreed! [She looks ready to go, then a thought occurs to her-] Oh, wait a moment!

[Digging out a pen and tearing a page from her notebook she explains,]

When the others get here, we should tell them where we have gone, so they can choose another arch and boost our chances of getting the right one. Not that I think we're wrong!

[Finishing writing the note she places it directly in front of the third arch, weighing it down with a nearby empty glass.
She then faces Sophie with a smile, taking her hand. She's as excited and scared as when Hikaru, Umi and her had been about to jump into the Spring of Eterna-!]

Oh, I see. [she's not sure what to think about Fuu's counting method, but really, if neither of them has a better idea...]

Yes, that's a good idea. [she waits for Fuu to leave the note. when her friend takes her hand, Sophie smiles back at her] And here we go.

[she ignores the sudden butterflies in her stomach and steps forward, passing behind the curtain on the right]

[Holding tight to Sophie's hand, she takes and holds a breath, then also passes through the curtain just a step behind her.]

[The first thing that Sophie and Fuu will notice when they go through the archway and the curtain is absolutely nothing. The small room is absolutely empty.

However.

Once they're through, they'll hear a little noise like a "zing" and if they press on the curtain, they'll find that it's completely solid and will not budge at all. Basically, they are trapped!

--Or are they?

The wall opposite of the curtain slides open to reveal the darkness beyond--it is night, after all--but if Sophie and Fuu venture outside, they'll notice they're somewhere no one has been able to get to for a while... The area seems empty right now, but once Sophie and Fuu venture out into the area...it might not be for long.]

What-!? [the moment Sophie hears that noise, she turns and tries to push the curtain open] Oh, confound it! Curtain, open this instant!

[she tries it again--and even commands it several more times--but her efforts are to no avail. however, when she hears the sound of the wall moving, she quickly spins back to look at that]

Well. [she scowls] It seems the only way we can go is forward. Shall we? [she starts out into that darkness, certain that Fuu will follow]

[Fuu didn't move around too much while in the darkness of the small room - this really was like the Spring! - and thankfully follows Sophie out into the night.
She's glad to see the night sky and as they walk along she looks around to get her bearings. After a moment, she blinks in surprise.]

You know, this seems really familiar.
Actually... I was being dragged by a lion paperweight at the time so I wasn't really looking at the scenery but, are we on the path to the Mayor's house?

[almost in answer to Fuu's question, a dark shape appears on the pathway to reveal a podium that has three buttons before three different little screens. the pictures reveal three familiar faces to the pair of them.

the left features the smiling face of Verita.

the center features the suave former Sheriff Iussus.

and the right features a grinning Audrey as they once knew her when they first arrived in town.

a note set up against the screen reads:]

"Using what you know now, choose who you believe is responsible."

[the wall that had opened up from from the curtained area closes behind them. they have no choice but to choose.]

[Sophie stares at the podium for a moment before turning to Fuu] What do you think? [she points at the picture of Audrey] If I had to choose, I would say Audrey herself. I don't think Verita is capable of such a thing, and it hardly fits the sheriff. But Mr Ichijou told me that you woke with purple nails--like Audrey's. Who could have done that but Audrey herself? Not to mention I'm quite certain now that Audrey knocked herself out when she contacted us from the White Rabbit.

Or do you think it was someone else?

Edited 2011-07-20 14:04 (UTC)

No, I think it's Audrey as well. I don't understand how it came to this, or why we're being given the choice from these three, but... yes.

[With a definitive nod to Sophie, she reaches over and presses the button under Audrey's picture.]

[it takes a second for the console to register the button they hit, but register it does with a positive "ding" sound and from just beyond one of the nearby trees, Audrey herself emerges and stays a safe distance. she has no weapons on hand, unless one considers the electronic lamp she's carrying to be one.]

I don't have much time, my darlings, but please listen to me. I'm not going to harm you. It was me who is responsible for the recent deaths, but for reasons I can't quite talk about right now, I had to do what was done to some of you--especially you, Fuu-darling--because it was the only way I could pass information off without giving myself away. At least I can say it's good seeing you again, the both of you. And congratulations, Sophie. [she smiles sadly, but as she continues speaking, her smile fades and her tone turns increasingly urgent.]

But since I took out my in-town double, I can't come back again after today. A friend of ours is going to try to get you all home while I try to stop everything else. What I need you to do for me is very important, but I haven't been able to figure out all the details. I only have ideas about what it is.

There is a device in the town that is preventing you from doing many things, like heading up to Dr. Cal's mansion over there. [she points behind her back] And another is a fail-safe for that system. You need to destroy both. I tried to do it on my own, but it didn't work. You need to do it together. Do that and at least you can stop any more new people from coming here. Getting home is another matter entirely.

[she reaches into her pocket, pulling out a box that rattles slightly as the contents shift from side to side with the movement, and holds it out to them] You'll need to do this in complete stealth. You can't let them see what you're going to do or they'll turn the entire town on you in an instant. [she turns her attentions to Fuu] When you were...[her voice falters, her expression screwing up like she's biting back a cry]...when you were gone, Fuu, I slipped into your home to check on the status of those glasses I gave you the last time. They should've still been in working order but they weren't. Something is interfering with the cloaking tech inside them. But these pins--[she gives the box a little shake]--should work, but I can't say for how long. Might be good enough for one use only, so you need to pick your targets correctly the first time out. Once we part ways, I'll be able to go switch off the system that keeps this town from being damaged, but I can only give you an hour window.

And I know you have all sorts of questions for me, but I need you both to hold on to them for now and answer this one for me before I go: Do you understand what I'm asking of you?

◌ 023 ◌ Watching us, watching them

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