Eyeris

A Steampunk Mystery

[The Blind Rouge]

"Its chalk." Kimi turned, trying to look at the woman who spoke, instead Kimi saw only herself. "Is this just something wealthy people do? I'm not... Never mind that. Does anyone want anything to drink?"

The mirrored mask is very clever. Kimi thought.

Kimi inspected the chalk smudged on her fingertips. She frowned and dragged her hand on her skirt, the chalk left a dim smear near her thigh. The wall seemed solid enough, she could not discern anything unusual at this time. There wouldn't be much time to linger anyhow.

Wilhelm, The Last Lance, spoke to the Rabbit burrowed in the walls about negotiations. Thinking himself cheated, he tried to leave.

Yet, he could not.

The locked door created much drama.

The Reckless Aurora inspected the lock. She seemed to know what she was doing, perhaps she was a machinist or locksmith of some sort, but instead of unlocking the door she was only able to offer uncomfortable excuses about clogged cogs.

The Helpless Pawn, who had been the first to pour himself a beverage, recklessly tried to break through the locked door. His strength was not enough to break the door. Pawns were the weakest pieces on the board.

"My key was given to me by my older brother..." Said the girl with a strange bird mask.

"Yeah, Mine too... A gift from my uncle." Kimi lied quietly. The most convincing lies were half truth. Her uncle had taught her that. Hadn't he?

Wilhelm had apparently found his. He was good at noticing things. Kimi was quietly skeptical.

The Robin took action and sought to open another door.

The walls spoke again, in the voice of a woman this time, they were not only invited into the new room... They were compelled into the next stage of the game.

The rain, the music, and the fear, filled the room with a lethal tension.

The Last Lance asked for a volunteer.

Kimi was not brave. She was, however, efficient. She was accustomed to being an expendable element, yet, she also understood investments. The White Rabbit would not go to all this trouble to gather them into this complex game, that was part puzzle and part art, only to kill them before it even began.

If Kimi was wrong and she would die entering that room, so be it. She had nothing to loose. Her life had never been her own.

So she walked past the others and into the room. She stood by the small blue chest.

Hogwarts: Ignition - Year One

Oh! I must google now!

Torn Across the Rift

Ha-ha! Good stuff!

Torn Across the Rift

lol it is all good

Hogwarts: Ignition - Year One

*rolls the scene along*

Hogwarts: Ignition - Year One

Just as dawn began to banish the night sky Caelum woke from a nightmare. She was sore and sweating. Yet, she recognized after opening her eyes that she was in the castle of Hogwarts, and not in the forbidden forest being taken away by a tree... or in the presence of the masked man...

She winced and tried to sit up. She began to look around for a familiar face. There were rows of bed, most filled with students, from her vantage they were anonymous lumps under the sheets.

"Hello? Is anyone else here? Or awake? Nolan?" She frowned, if he or any of the others were here that meant they had been hurt too.

Moirah had finally fallen asleep, but not on a bed, she was perched awkwardly under the window ledge and snored softly.

Torn Across the Rift

still wracking my brains. Will post as soon as I am able.

@The Bearded One

I shall dream of that day.

A Steampunk Mystery

[The Blind Rouge]

Kimi let her curiosity draw her to the drink table. There a man was already throwing back a portion of cognac. His mask was a hooded face. She quietly slid up beside him and poured herself a portion of a rich-brown liquid. She rarely had the opportunity to indulge in expensive alcohol. Her uncle usually kept the best for himself. She sniffed the stuff, the mask was between her nose and the drink but she could still smell the liquid. Bitter, sweet, with a hint of anise.

Under her mask she frowned, perplexed by how she could taste the drink without removing her mask.

She was listening to the idle chatter that began to happen behind her. Suddenly, after one man introduced himself, there was an announcement, a terrible noise, and then the wall started to scratch a threat into the wall all by itself.

Kimi was glad that the mask hid her expression of shock. She clutched the glass tightly as the whole event unfolded.

This is a dangerous game.

When the stretching ceased, Kimi took a breath. She didn't try to drink from her glass, but did carry it with her as she approached the wall.

She peered closely at the marks, touched them. The scratch must have somehow come from the other side of the wall, but how? What was next door? It must have been some sort of complex machine, a magicians illusion set up before they arrived. She knocked on the wall beside the scratches, then walked to the next wall and knocked upon that. She was trying to judge their thickness, and if the walls were perhaps built of two different materials or at two different times. If the 'scratching' wall was different somehow Kimi would assume that the wall was added, a built in trick-wall set up before the big event.

"I wonder how many strikes we get." Her voice seemed small, much like her person. Yet, it was clear enough for all the guests to hear.

A Steampunk Mystery

The Blind Rouge

At first, Kimi though the delivery of the box was a mistake, or perhaps a strange joke. She didn't ask around about the box or who it was supposed to be for or where it had come from. Kimi learned that jumping to conclusions was a fast way to become hurt. She looked for more information. She learned a little bit about the White Rabbit. She learned enough to know that the message was genuine. She did not entirely understand the meaning of invitation, yet, she decided finding out was worth the risk. She stole away to the realm of the White Rabbit, donned the mask of the ‘Blind Rouge’ and took her place among the other guests.

Kimi was very uncomfortable when asked to remove her possessions from her person. Kimi was a girl who preferred to be prepared . She relied on her tools and possessions, and regularly carried around a lot of equipment. She spent a lot of time in front of the box emptying her many pockets. Each time she dropped something into the box it made a sad 'clunk' against the wood. She felt as if she were leaving a piece of herself behind... But not the most important piece. Not the key! I can keep that... For now...

She thought about trying to fool the White Rabbit and smuggle something in, but decided against it. She would not get what she wanted by crossing the White Rabbit. She would only end up dead.

What is special about the key? If I have something the White Rabbit wants, why doesn’t he just take it? He certainly has the means. This was a puzzle.

She arrived and entered quietly, she appeared to be a later arrival. She was also certainly the shortest. She had her hair tied back in a low braided clump of a bun. She was thankful to be able to conceal her face with the mask. Something about the visage appealed to her. A mask of a face with a blindfold. A mask on a mask. She had acquired some nicer clothes for the occasion. Simple unremarkable things in deep blue and black. Some of items were not quite her size and she had hastily tailored and pinned them that morning to fit better. She was no tailor, a more discerning eye would notice the uneven hem and the lopsided bustle. Underneath she wore her own leggings and shirt. She felt more comfortable with her own cloths under her dress-up garb. It was like the way her own face could remain relaxed and hidden behind her mask.

Social graces were never her strong suit. Her uncle took on the role of the socialite when necessary. Her uncle was not with her tonight. Kimi was on her own.

No one was talking to anyone else. Kimi wondered if any of them knew one another, or, if they were all strangers.

The White Rabbit spoke to them through an intercom. Disregard any sounds… the staff is busy… Kimi looked around, but, did not see anyone who was not wearing a mask.

Still, no one spoke. She did not want to be the one to break the silence. Bringing attention to herself might be risky. For all she knew, some or all of these people were the staff!

The architecture and decorum were amazing. Kimi yearned to explore the mansion. She wanted to try every door and look through every corner and cranny. Yet, she had to behave. There were too many eyes on her, even if they were hidden behind masks. That fact made them more dangerous, Kimi thought.

The trick is to pretend like you're supposed to be there. That is what Uncle Roy always said. So, she didn’t say anything, but began to stroll toward the stairs and ascend them. She walked toward the room that The White Rabbit had invited them into. The place he said he would be waiting for them.

She was eager to meet the Rabbit herself.

Hogwarts: Ignition - Year One

Yaaay awesome post!

That letter made me LOL hard! BROWNIE POINTS FOR YOU!