Dreamland (round 3)

[foundationmods]

[A strange house of some sort sits in the pitch black nothingness that exists around it. For those just now wandering in, they will be drawn to the building, finding it lit up in a way that it should not be. It's as if the whole area- house, yard, fence, and giant sakura tree- all give off their own light, and the newly-arrived are drawn to it like a moth to the flame.

Inside the boundary of the yard, the familiar faces of those who have passed on already will greet them. Depending on who is asked, they might give an accurate explanation. But even if they don't, one thing is clear: you don't want to leave this place. The area outside feels Dangerous, and it is probably best to stay put.

Fortunately, the house is built in an old style, and there are many rooms to explore. One room on the second floor seems locked, but the rest are open to explore as desired. The standard rooms are easy to find: kitchen, a W.C. and a bathroom, a sitting room of some sort, and a couple bedrooms (with plenty of futons for the dead to use). There are also several tatami mat rooms with nothing in them currently, but it seems like there might be some use for those rooms.

Around the house, perches for birds can be found. No birds are on them currently, though.

Sometimes Watanuki can be found in the house, but most of the time the dead will be left to their own devices. The question is, what will they do here?]

Comments

[beguiledcard]

[ That's a good point... buuut... ]

Since it ends with specifying where we started, I think that's giving a direction.

[oceanicbutterfly]

Unless we're meant to get there the long way, making an arc around where we've been.

[You know, assuming she's even right, which of course is an assumption she's 100% willing to make.]

[beguiledcard]

[ He tilts his head. ]

It does say "top of start" - if we go back the way Shadow suggested... and we're thinking about it as though we're following a map...

[ He's even drawing in the air to demonstrate, lmao. ]

Then... we'd be coming down towards the top of where we began...

[chaoscontrol]

Well, I'm going to follow the string back and see what happens. You two are free to do what you want.

[Shadow seems confident, at least....]

[oceanicbutterfly]

I'll need the rest of the string, then.

[Stubborn magical girl is stubborn.]

[chaoscontrol]

[Shadow groans a bit]

I really don't think we should split up... So I guess we ALL need to decide which way to go.

[foundationmods]

[A crumpled up piece of paper is suddenly going to drop into the middle of the room. Maybe hitting someone on the head.]

[chaoscontrol]

[Shadow, probably. His head is pretty big, after all.

The paper bounces off his quills and lands on the floor. He picks it up and uncrumples it]

[foundationmods]

left, up, up, right, right.

[cw: flashing lights]

[chaoscontrol]

[thanks, watanuki.]

Well.

There you have it.

[oceanicbutterfly]

[Karen immediately turns to their right to face overall "left" and walks toward the door so at least the others won't see her self-satisfied smirk.]

[chaoscontrol]

[they're never going to hear the end of this. He'll just keep his head down and follow Karen]

[foundationmods]

[When the loser squad finally makes it to the right room, balloons and streamers wait for them. The balloons also say 'An effort was made'.

Anyway here's the next clue, on the table in the middle of the room:]

Did you think
other clues
would
not be easy?

Really.
It's not that hard.
Give it some thought.
Helplessness is not a good look.
Try this time, okay?

[Salt salt salt salt salt.]

[chaoscontrol]

[Shadow just lets a streamer stick to his quills. A balloon pops on his spines]

Goddammit, Watanuki.

[ Shadow ties off the string and then looks at the clue ]

We’re going down, then right.

[oceanicbutterfly]

[Karen pretends to carefully inspect a balloon.]

Are you sure? We could probably find something to carefully analyze.

[chaoscontrol]

[Shadow pops a balloon by her face before heading south, then east]

[foundationmods]

[Good job, Shadow. This room, at least, is not passive-aggressive.

By the way, going 'down' one passed through a room you had already been in, and you guys can see the string trailing through it in the path taken.

New clue time!]

Go down, then retrace your steps to the poetry.

[oceanicbutterfly]

[Hmm. Well, going down is simple enough, but...]

There were a few different notes, but I don't know if any of them particularly seemed like poetry...

[chaoscontrol]

The last clue was technically a kind of poem called an “acrostic”. So we go down, then go back to the balloon room.

[oceanicbutterfly]

That should be easy enough, if it still has all the balloons.

[And she heads off downward.]

[chaoscontrol]

[ Following with the string...]

[foundationmods]

[Question: How is Shadow keeping the string from dragging along behind them when they backtrack?]

[chaoscontrol]

[ He makes little anchor points by pulling out a quill and sticking it in the wood floor!]

[foundationmods]

[Excellent!

By the way, they have gone through that one room three times now.

And the balloon room now is clear of all balloons and confetti, and instead has another note:]

Beware the birds.

[...odd.

But all of the doors to that room are snapping shut, with the string being held up by the now-closed doors. After a few seconds, the group will be able to hear the sounds of talking, though pinpointing where it comes from is a bit difficult at first.]

[oceanicbutterfly]

...great.

[If she listens carefully, can she perhaps make out words?]