paradisa | LEFT SIDE

[There's a faint drumming sound that seems to be coming from somewhere in here, but only few can hear it. Among the rows upon rows of tables, each set immaculately in pristine condition, there is something that stands out among the rest of the decorations.

A small, wooden box sits on one of the tables, clear of dining utensils. The drumming seems to be coming from it, but it won't stop until all that can hear it are seated and ready to begin.]

[Spike decided less than a day after the earthquake that he wasn't interested in fighting off whatever alien plans to invade this time around. That was the plan. But it's not aliens that keep him from sleeping through this, it's that damn drumming noise that reaches all the way to his room. Just loud enough to drive someone crazy. Attempts to ignore it are only successful at first, but after a restless nap he finally he decides that he has to go looking for it. Shoot whoever is behind it if he has to and get back to sleep.

The room the sound eventually leads him to seems pretty empty, which is equally annoying. He passes by the box once or three times, looking under the table and around before finally settling on it. (Should he shoot the box, or what?)

Scowling, he crosses his arms and debates the situation while the drumming continues.]

... Forget it.

[He knows a set up when he sees one. Stuffing his hands firmly in his pockets, he starts walking back out.]

[Wade is on her way in for the same reasons. She's tried to ignore it every way she can - going for a swim, cooking breakfast, listening to music - but no matter what she does the sound follows her. The drum beats break through everything, as if they were more in her head than in the air.]

Is someone hosting a drum circle down here and I wasn't invited?

[She would have been easy to ignore on his way out if she hadn't made that comment. Most people wouldn't be able to resist the curiosity, so he should at least give her a heads up. Which doesn't mean using her as a bomb detector, but... ]

It's the box. [She would have figured it out anyway.]

[She looks at him, then past him at the table, then back to him]

It's not a boom box, is it?

[Boom box... That sounds vaguely familiar, but he can't be sure.]

Could be. I didn't look inside.

Well, whatever it is, I hope there's an off switch

[She brushed past him to the box]

What is this? Jumanji?

[He nearly winces when she takes the bait outright, but it's soon after that he's interested enough to turn back around. (Is the drumming getting louder or is it just him?)]

There's writing on it?

[Danny comes into the Great Hall, already in a foul mood from the loss of his powers. Every time the castle pulled this, it seemed like something bad was about to happen.]

Any chance of getting that drumming to shut up?

More like a wood carving, but yeah...

[Wade traced the top of the box with her fingers, lifting it up to look underneath, and then setting it back down. She glances back at the boy.]

That's what I'm trying to find out.

[With the appearance of a kid, Spike steps forward. If they don't shut it up soon, they'll probably see more.

Could just be that it's waiting on the right person. Either way, the drumming as she lifts the box is getting more disturbing. Like it has a pulse.]

What else?

[Danny steps closer and blinks as he sees the box.]

Is anyone else getting a bad feeling about this?

What I'm getting is a headache.

[After a few moments more inspecting, she pries open the lid, folding both ends back to reveal the game board]

A board game. Huh...

[He raises an eyebrow. A board game should get rid of that bad feeling, but even if it doesn't, he can pretend.]

Well, that's solved.

Doesn't look like any board game I've ever seen.

It's fancy, but it doesn't look very complicated. There are probably dice in here somewhere...

[Spike gets close enough to read the board. Mostly wondering why it comes across so ominous, but again he refers to the drums.

...

Stepping back, he shrugs.]

Knock yourselves out.

[Danny makes a face.]

What do you think would happen if we played it?

Maybe the question is, what is the worst thing that can happen?

[Despite all the experience that says NO STAY AWAY, here Steph is.]

[The sound of drums never meant anything good and yet here was Bilbo, walking towards the sound spurred on by his undying Tookish curiosity. Surely this castle wasn't hiding a secret lair of goblins, right?

He steps into the room quietly, counting the people already around a table where a box sat. It took him a few seconds to realize that... the sound was coming from the box itself and not from any of the people gathered.]

Played it? Why on earth would you want to do that? [He comments quietly, appearing suddenly from beside Steph.]

To make the sound stop, to start with...

[Wade paused in her fiddling with the game board to look at the two new people that had gathered around]

Do you guys hear it too?

Yeah. Probably a sign if we can all hear it.

[She rests her hands on her hips.]

Do we want to pull straws, or...?

[And here comes the crowd. If you could call it that. It's smaller than he would have expected with all that drumming.

Spike's eyes pass over Steph and rest on Bilbo for several seconds before he realizes he's staring. When he focuses back to the table with the game, he's still trying to place his voice. Nobody told him they still have a hobbit in the castle.

He hangs back from the group and says nothing, not even asking how many pieces are in the game. He suddenly doesn't want to know.]

[Danny sighs. He was almost certain this was a terrible idea. But honestly, he had a long record of somehow managing to survive terrible ideas. And he had the feeling no one was getting out of this.

Not if his luck was as bad as usual.]

If no one else wants to try, I'm willing to start.

[Yes, it feels like a trap, but the adventurer in Wade makes her fingers itch to try the game out. Finding the compartment with the dice, she pulls them out and holds them up in her palm]

Maybe it's what we need to do to get the castle back together. I'm game.

[Steph glances over at the others before turning back to the game board.]

Alrighty. Guess we're doing this.

[He can feel someone watching him and looks up to see Spike watching him. Before he can say anything it seems that the rest of the unusual group has already come to a decision. His hand goes to his pocket on impulse and he can't help but frown when he feels nothing there. Of course.

If it can bring the castle back together... Can they be so sure of that? Bilbo can't be, but then again he was unfamiliar with this place and its... strangeness. If a simple (unnerving) game could fix things he couldn't say no.

So he sighs, hanging to the back as he watches everyone else make their choices.]

[Spike looks again to the hobbit, and then takes a step in front of him for no real reason. Maybe he thinks the game is going to shoot poisoned arrows the second someone rolls the dice. Everyone seems to be expecting it, but he can't criticize when he's the one who decided to stay and watch.

It's going to be a real let down if nothing happens.]

[Wade looks down at the dice in her hands. It's a big risk, but nothing was ever gained by not taking any. The option here could be to just try to pitch the damned thing into the pit and wait this out but...]

Ok. Here goes nothing....

[She takes a breath and rolls the dice onto the board]

[The dice fall onto the board, and it appears that Wade has rolled a seven. Without any guidance, Wade's marker slowly inches across the board exactly seven paces forward. How much easier can this game get?

The green orb in the center of the board also begins to come to live, illuminating with a soft glow of green and gold until those golden swirls begin to form words. Once they settle, they read:

"Need a hand? Well, you just wait. We'll help you out... we each have eight."

Did you hear that? Something skitters to their left. Another skitters to the right. The sounds grow louder and louder. If anyone looks up, they might notice some new friends descending from the ceiling.

Spiders. Large, gangly spiders. And they're slowly lowering themselves down toward the players.]

[ Danny slowly backs up as he eyes the spiders.]

Um, does everyone else see what I'm seeing? Anyone know a good exterminator?

Ohmygod. [Spiders. She hates spiders.] I thought we already did spiders--[But bring it on. Steph looks over at the nearest person, then glues her eyes on the spiders.] Maybe you'll roll a can of Raid or a reaaaally big rolled up newspaper.

[What the hell is that?? True, he more than expected something, but seriously.

He doesn't bother to start shooting spiders, he just reaches for the game to snatch away from the table (and close if he can) while everyone is distracted.]

I think we're agreed that was a bad idea, right?

Yeah, now what are you gonna do about it? [She's only slightly more fond of spiders than she is of snakes. Which is to say not very. But this isn't the first time she's made a poor life choice, and arguing about it won't solve anything. She's not the one with a gun.]

I'm all for any ideas... [Wade makes a grab for a table lamp to use as an offensive weapon as she presses her back to a wall]

LEFT SIDE

GRAND HALL

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject