Betrayal at House on the Hill

[angelcage]

[ You sleep, the ground cold beneath your cheek. The ground is hard as stone, cold marble beneath a fine layer of dust that doesn't come anywhere near acting as a cushion. The dust stirs with your breathing.


>> Wake up ]

Comments

SERVANT'S QUARTERS - UPPER LEVEL

[angelcage]

[ The servant's quarters were less grand even in their day— you could expect that they are now the very definition of run down. But no, not really.

From the hall there are smaller rooms offset, each with a smaller single bed, a night stand, rickety drawers that must have once held their daily wear.

These servants quarters still feel lived in. There's bed slippers besides the bed of one, like someone had just settled in. A newspaper on the night stand of another. Nothing here is broken, nothing here is dusty, some drawers are left open, a half-filled cup of water next to one of the beds.

But surely no one lives here now. ]

[angelcage]

[ Continue to Servants Quarters ]

[aliiiens]

If something smashed these, I don't think it was human.

[He stops and takes another grim glance around the room.]

It was probably some kind of monster.

Jonah's Turn

[angelcage]

[ No monster appears, though. As III looks about, instead two boys dash into view: they must have missed them earlier, if they were here before.

The boys dash out from behind the basilisk statue III was investigating— one holding a wooden top. They run through the room, avoiding shards like it's second nature, laughing.

The one holding the top stops running, and holds his hand out to his younger brother: "Would you like a turn, Jonah?"

"No," says Jonah. A wicked grin crosses his face. "I want all the turns." He takes the top before the other boy can protest, and decks him with his other hand. The other boy falls, and Jonah is on him in a flash— he keeps hitting him. ]

[angelcage]

[ The Bell is silent as Mordred returns to the Basement Landing ]

Re: BASEMENT LANDING - BASEMENT LEVEL

[withintreason]

[ we're going to go east now i guess. straight to east!!! ]

[court_chesster]

[La la la, rifling through the drawers.]

PENTAGRAM CHAMBER - BASEMENT LEVEL

[angelcage]

[ Something is wrong. With the air you breath, with the stale atmosphere of the room as you step forward into a room thick with malice. Thick with the scent of blood. Chalked on the floor is a giant pentagram, blood stains… a trunk lying open, scratch marks on the inside. Rope, tossed carelessly aside.

The candles all around the room flicker to life when you enter ]

[angelcage]

[ There's a human skull inside the first one Simon checks— cracked and missing teeth. ]

[trashenough]

[ Yuma turns initially to III with a forced smile — come on, like he's gonna buy that, there's no way it's monsters — but the arrival of the children cuts him off into a surprised Huh?

There's a moment of surprise when Jonah hits the other boy, but when he goes for a second, Yuma can't just stand by. ]

Hey, leave him alone—!

[ Even if he has to drag III the whole way, Yuma sprints towards the two boys, aiming to bodily pull Jonah back with his arms and hand wrapping around the boy's torso. There's going to be a lot of yanking here, III. ]

Re: PENTAGRAM CHAMBER - BASEMENT LEVEL

[withintreason]

[ FORTUNATELY I HAVE DEALT WITH SUCH CREEPY DISGUSTING WRONG SCENES BECAUSE OF, MY OWN MOTHER,

wrinkles her nose, looking around from the end of the room for some fucking doors ]

[court_chesster]

[Creepy. Gives it a prod just in case there's something interesting under it, but what would he do with a gross ol' human skull?]

[angelcage]

[ The younger boy struggles with a strength it seems he shouldn't have— his brother still beneath him as Yuma pulls. But with both III and Yuma working together, you get him off his brother— he starts to wail, and thrash. He doesn't even seem to realize someone's there to pull him off his brother, still trying to lunge. ]

It's my turn! Now and forever!

[angelcage]

[ The amulet Miles holds warms as the both of you enter the room. The atmosphere dissipates— no longer oppressive.

You can no longer feel it at all.

There's no other doors. But in the center of the pentagram, a girl lies— bound. Alone. Trapped. Her eyes are blindfolded, and she's breathing hard her wriggling in place getting more frantic at the sound of you opening the door. ]

[angelcage]

[ The skull reacts— not to you, but your ring. You feel the press of your ringed finger against your own skull.

It's channeling the sensation from the mental plane to the physical one. ]

[withintreason]

[ i absolutely expected this ]

. . .

What's this . . .

[ mmmmmm MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMM

stepping closer i guess ]

[aliiiens]

[This kid is stronger than he looks, and III is sore and tired. It's taking all his effort to hold him back.]

Please calm down! You don't need to fight! Whatever's wrong, we can help you work through it, okay?

[Really he's just saying whatever he can think of to get this Jonah to chill out. It is likely incredibly ineffective.]

[court_chesster]

[Winces and shuts the drawer. Never mind!!]

[trashenough]

This isn't how you should play with your brother! If you're not gonna... play... nice...

[ It's a strain to keep him from launching out of his arms — this kid is way stronger than he looks! But with III's help, he's at least not hitting the other boy anymore. That's a start. His hands are more occupied, so— ]

III! Conjugate their toy!

[ ,.....,,. ]

[angelcage]

[ She struggles harder, still blindfolded, still bound. ]

[aliiiens]

["Conjugate" surprises him so much he actually has to stop and stare at Yuma for a second while he works that out.

Oh. Confiscate. Duh. Why does he have a crush on this kid again?]

Uh... R-right!

[He dives for the top, but it's entirely possible that with the pause one or both of them has gotten away.]

[angelcage]

[ Jonah's brother lies there, unmoving. He's bleeding badly— concussed maybe. His nose is definitely broken.

Jonah's eyes follow the top, as III dives for it, and he tries to go after it again, squirming out of Yuma's grasp— though III is faster than the kid. His eyes are wide— ]

I have to play now. If the rats are going to eat everything, I want my turn, no sharing!

[withintreason]

[ mm

is she gagged ]

You. Can you understand me?

[angelcage]

[ The Drawer Shuts.

Traitor? How will you proceed. ]

[angelcage]

[ She whimpers.

She's not gagged, but she's still slow to respond— eventually, she very carefully nods her head. ]