Visits of Velvet

[cordibus]

A: Between the conscious and the unconscious...

It happens so fast you don't have time to dwell on it.

At first, you're sleeping in your room. As you drift into slumber, you suddenly find yourself facing a blue-colored desk with an ancient-looking computer and screen. If you try to move, the chair squeaks loudly - that thing definitely needs a little bit of grease to function properly. Some chairs have rips and tears, leaking fluff, missing buttons and are generally badly in need of repair. Looking around will reveal rows of such desks all around you, with everyone in their own little blue-colored cubicle. There are large windows to the outside too, but it's impossible to see - there's way too much fog outside. Phones and other electronic devices don't appear to be working either if you had them on you.

It won't take too much time for you to notice that everyone is dressed business casual. A tiny little empty plaque holder sits on your desk, along with scattered letters from what appear to be Scrabble pieces that could form your name (or an anagram if you're feeling like it), and a number written on a post-it. You can turn your machine on, but it will take a while to be useful. Best to look around the place to see what else is here while the message saying that it's preparing the booting up screen chugs along.

The entire floor is pathetically barren for the most part. The theme of color continues with the dark blue walls, the visible ceiling pipes and the shaggy blue carpet, which is, thankfully, free of stains. If you do bother to look around during the next ten minutes, either chatting with others or walking around, you may notice two more rooms.

First, there’s a dining area with a single coffee machine. No way will this be enough for anyone to get their coffee fix. Not that they could, as there doesn't appear to be coffee anywhere. Or cups. Or spoons. Just a poor, lonely, coffee machine, empty cabinets and a fridge that isn't even plugged in.

The second is a large gathering room. You know that’s what it’s mean to be thanks to the clumsily taped sign on the top of the room's opening in near perfect handwriting. No chairs, just an empty room with no door....and a portrait of a strange man hung in the back. To its credit, despite the face and nose possibly giving you nightmares for the rest of your life, this portrait of Igor may be the most expensive looking thing in the entire floor. The mahogany frame, is enhanced by the carved butterflies around it.

B : The Talk

Eventually there is a message over the intercom to everyone. The voice is neutral, seemingly devoid of emotion. It's still hard to hear due to the glitchy sound and skipping noise.

"Att...tion. If you cou...all please come ..t....Gather... room. Thank you."

As the crowd moves into the aptly-named room, those that stay out of it will eventually find themselves being pushed by invisible boundaries into it. Once the last person is in, the voice from the intercom finally makes herself known with a polite cough. Dramatic entrance or just perfect timing? The blue, black and gold business suit somehow manages not to clash with her blonde hair and bright yellow eyes. Next to her is another individual who's also dressed in a similar suit, black hair and the same pair of yellow eyes, a small smirk and a glint in his eyes and a giant wad of papers on a wood board a golden pen in his hands.. They've already met them in a dream but now seeing them in person is an entirely new experience. They look...like models, and a lot more expensive than anything else here.

"Welcome to your first team meeting, team," she greets them, eyes darting at the group while she continues to talk. "I am Mary, and this is my brother, William. You will have to forgive us for the lack of space - normally the Velvet Room only has a small number of Guests at a time. You are all very different than that, due to the circumstances. I hope you will all get along - for your sake's anyway..." She stops to adjust her glasses and crosses her arms. "Now then, I'll make this brief. This place exists between the conscious and unconscious and takes the image of what is most suitable for the tasks ahead. In your cases, an office. As per the contract you all signed a few weeks ago, we are here to assist you with your personal growth. In exchange, you are to prove to us your willingness to change this world."

"It's no small task," William adds, finally speaking up. His voice is much deeper and relaxed than his sister's. "But our Master has faith in all of you . It will not be the same for everyone of course, but each of you has a role to play. My sister and I are here to aid you as the Velvet Room's Humanoid Resources. I am most eager to begin my duties."

"While you may have many questions, we unfortunately cannot answer all of them. This journey is also your own and those of the Velvet Room are tasks with watching, not interfering."

William just nods and shrugs is elbows.

"That being said, we will do what we can. The first round of questions is opened to the floor."

[OOC: IF you have a question for the Velvet Room’s residents, please go post it in the appropriate section in the post below. The rest of the prompts can be between yourselves!

The requests will be starting in a few weeks.]

Comments

[Speak to your Velvet HR]

[cordibus]

[Both Mary and William are willing to answer some questions...but as stipulated by the rules of the Velvet Room, they can't tell you everything. And try not to yell everything at once!]

[sociallyarcward]

[It was one of those moments where as soon as they offered to answer questions, every question Jaune had rolling around in his head promptly vanished. He stared for a few minutes, trying to grasp for them again, but his mind was whirling too fast.

After a few minutes, Jaune finally collected his thoughts enough to think of one of the more recent things he'd heard...back in the tunnels. It had stuck with him since.]

What did Luci mean when he said we were important to the survival of this world? We aren't even from here...[John's memories conflict with that statement, so Jaune hesitates.]...I think...

[He shakes it off and continues.] Actually...how is Luci involved in all of this? I don't see him here but...he did mention something about the guys in blue...that would be you two, right?

[djvelvetinblack]

We can't completely answer that question, but your destiny is tied to this world in ways you cannot imagine. If all of you were to fall, then the chaos would start over.

[William takes down a few notes as he's speaking.]

As for how he's involved is a story for him to explain. Suffice to say, his survival is tied to yours. Perhaps he might be able to speak to you directly soon.

[transient_specter]

... What kind of chaos?

[He does not trust these two at all. He'd prefer to leave, but... well. He tried. He couldn't find a door.]

And what do you mean that this world is between the conscious and unconscious?

[blackdogdown]

He takes a good long ten seconds to glare from one to the other. Neither of them really sound like...

"Where the phone one..?"

Oh that's sort of unclear isn't it.

"Lucy? Or something. Annoying star guy on the app. They affiliated?"

[djvelvetinblack]

"In a way..."

William touched his chin before speaking again, as if it was weighing his next answer.

"...his fate is more tied to yours than this room."

[blackdogdown]

It's hard to glare harder then he's already glaring but he's doing it, oh he's doing it.

"Right. Sorry I asked." There is no way these blue guys are giving a straight answer are they.

"But that means he ain't malicious or whatever right? Because he sure seems to enjoy acting like it."

If Luci is the final boss he wants to get dibs on calling it like, right now.

[forsteri]

[Through this whole thing Sakuma listens with his spine ramrod straight and his hands at his sides. Once the siblings are done speaking, his official air doesn't drop, but instead redirects itself.]

Before we were told that the people who couldn't handle this already went dormant again. Does that mean that anyone in Eddan has the potential to awaken? Or was there something about us?

[In other words: why us? And also, "are there NPCs", but he can't ask that.]

[djvelvetinblack]

Ahh, you've figured that out already?

[Granted Luci might have given them a clue in that regard.]

The potential is present in many...although few fo now are able to see it to the end.

[forsteri]

It seemed a little obvious.

[But "for now" is an implication that they won't be few for long.]

And when we're 'many', then... are we still going to be using this place?

[It's an okay size for the bunch of them now, but it seems a little small for hundreds...]

[draculabackwards]

[There are a lot of questions being thrown around. Alucard takes a moment to think of one that he hasn't already heard before proceeding.]

You need us to fight the Shadows because if we don't, they combine into something worse, do they not?

[djvelvetinblack]

[He taps his papers, somewhat impressed. However, first, a formality;]

We do not need you to do anything. We are here to help you. What you do will change your destiny accordingly.

But to answer your question, yes.

[seasonsofdeath]

[Pharos comes forward, smiling politely but very curious.]

Hello. [He hasn't been in this room before, but he's at least more aware of it than the others.]

[probablynoteren]

[Everything is so bizarrely blue. Lenka had ignored most of his desk and waited somewhat patiently for the computer to boot up, but eventually gotten distracted by the bustle in the rest of the room enough that he got up to explore -- since the kitchen was sad and useless, here he is.

He's unwound his tie from around his neck and is just holding it in one hand while he deliberates his question, having managed to beeline his way up to the front. It took a few moments with the crowd, though, so in the meantime he's been listening in on the questions asked.]

This is a dream. [it's more a musing than a question; the real question comes soon enough:] How do we stop this? What's happening in this city. The monsters.

[He doesn't talk about the world yet, because it's better to start small.]

Chikusa Kakimoto - ota

[kokuyoyo]

A - Unconscious and Conscious

[The first thing Chikusa does once he's quickly assessed where he is and who's around him is strip.]

[Not completely, but he looks down at his blazer and tie with vague distaste before tugging both off and flinging them off. If they land on you, uh, sorry, although Chikusa certainly won't apologize.]

[His second course of action is to roam around the place, expression blank and tired in contrast to his quick shuffle. It's a path that eventually leads him over to the coffee machine where- oh, he's just. Grabbing it.]

[You might want to try and stop him because it sure looks like he's ready to just break the damn thing. You'd think he'd look more aggravated to fit with the action, but.... Nope. Still as blankfaced as usual.]

B - The Talk

[Chikusa does not want to go have a talk by being dictated by strange voices he doesn't know, and which, quite frankly, he's doubtful they'll get any answers from. Luci, after all, hasn't answered shit. So he quite notably is one of those who refuses to go along with it, lounging quietly. And when some invisible force starts to herd him along?]

[He straight up just settles down on the floor.]

[Feel free to just.... enjoy the show as the force patiently pushes him across the floor while he very pointedly doesn't bother to be helpful at all.]

a

[foxhands]

[Nakigitsune isn't bothering to question what's going on at this point. He's somewhere blue? He's used to dress shirts and ties. All his fellow awakened people are here, but it doesn't look like they're gonna be fighting in here - probably?

Still, he didn't expect to see coffee machine vandalism.

Not that he's gonna stop it. No, he's just watching, standing close enough to probably be in Chikusa's field of vision but not so close that he might get hit with the machine or something.]

...No coffee?

[kokuyoyo]

Not here.

[Plastic smashes down against the floor with a crash as he throws it, although the angle apparently isn't enough to make the coffee pot itself shatter. Chikusa stays where he is, staring blandly down at it, before apparently remembering to add an afterthought.]

There aren't any cups or anything either, so it's even more unnecessarily useless....

[Crouching down, he starts to fiddle with the machine to patiently begin dismantling it.]

[foxhands]

[Natsume might have been worried, about this systematic destruction of pricey(?) appliances for no apparent reason.

He's not Natsume anymore though. Nakigitsune looks on, cocking his head in a questioning sort of manner as he watches.]

Nothing?

[Moving a little closer...just to peek in the empty cupboard, and maybe glance around for any other coffee-making necessities. Like a plug. Or coffee.]

a

[lovelledup]

[The blazer actually does hit Gladion, and he yells out]

Hey!

[before he has time to notice the source of clothes being thrown in his direction. For obvious reasons, he's been more or less avoiding Ciro since he got his memories back. They were best friends, but now he's sure he knows nothing about him, and that's easier to avoid than try to reconcile. There's a flash of surprise on his face as he recognises him before he looks away again.]

[kokuyoyo]

[If there's one person that could make him pause after he smacked them in the head with discarded clothing, it's actually Asher- no, Gladion. He pauses midstep, glancing back at the other boy and uncertain.]

[It takes maybe half a minute, but he finally shifts closer to look over the top of the cubicle.]

....Hey...

[lovelledup]

[So he's talking to him, after all. Gladion had been hoping he'd just ignore him, but alas, no such luck. And some part of him is happy for that reaction, despite all attempts to drown it out. Like reuniting with an old friend, except the friend had been a lie the whole time. He's not sure what to say, so he does the obvious and shoves the blazer back toward the other boy.]

This is yours.

Koujirou Genda ll OTA

[beastfang]

You can check out any time you like...[A]


The computer and the plaque were ignored completely after given a brief glance when Genda gets over that moment of his body figuring out what just happened in regards to going to sleep and suddenly being here. Instead he's up and out of the annoyingly squeaky chair and roaming what limited space there is. It doesn't take long to actually investigate the few rooms this office building has to offer, thus if you hadn't stopped him during said investigation you'll find him staring out one of the large windows and as close to looking agitated as someone who's default expression is frowning.

"There are no doors..."


Hiding in the Shadows of a Lie [B]

It wasn't that Genda didn't have questions, but after everything that had been told or hinted at when Luci had decided to be 'helpful' he wasn't exactly going to jump into that particular trap of potentially vague answers and agitation from what was given. Instead he managed to find a relatively not so crowded corner and just watches as others ask or shout questions and accusations at the pair.

Lay them out for all to see. [Wildcard]

((As always hit me with a prompt if you have one, and I'll match whatever you feel comfortably doing between prose or brackets.))

A.

[sociallyarcward]

Jaune poked at the computer and the scrabble pieces for a bit, wondering if they're clues to something. He's seen snails move faster than this computer boots up though so eventually Jaune decides it's time to find out what's going on now. Are they ever going to catch a break, he wonders. He leaned back, looking up at the ceiling.

He heard footsteps. Jaune jumped up and--from the perspective of the person approaching--literally pops up from the cubicle out of practically nowhere. He probably further startles them by going: "Hey!"

It's a second later that he realizes that might have been a bit startling and winces, "Ah...sorry..."

[beastfang]

Genda is usually very observant in regards to his surroundings and keeping twenty three moving targets in his attention as well. But sadly nothing ever truly prepares you for the jack in the box jump scare. Doubly so when the squeak of the chair was not heard in time to stop the sudden flinch back from there suddenly being another person within touching distance. Those cubicle walls hardly counted as a barrier really, especially in this circumstance.


Dignity is lost for a brief moment as Jaune is treated to a look that one would fine on a very disgruntled and angry cat that hasn't decided just yet if it wants to flee up a cabinet or scratch whatever just offended it. Only for a few seconds later the expression to smooth out into a more neutral frown and curious headtilt.


"Did you just arrive?"

Because Genda is not certain what could keep someone in those cubes for long before leaving them.

[sociallyarcward]

Yep. Definitely startled this kid. Whoops. Jaune felt bad, but the damage had already been done. He looked over his shoulder at the computer and tiles that he had been playing with. "Uh...sure," he said, then thought it might be better not to lie exactly and added, "I mean...more or less...I was waiting to see if the computer would load." And playing with the tiles...and making the sticky note into various origami shapes so that now it was a wrinkled mess on his desk. He really only knew how to do a fortune teller and a crane.

He turned back to the boy, "Are you exploring this place?"