[Game 21] Group 2

[arsgoetia]

After the blackout, a dim glow returns to the train car. You can feel yourselves still rattling along the tracks, and the world seems to be rushing by outside in bits and flashes, an occasional pulse of color. Some of that ambience starts to fill the train compartment with a sickly blue light.

Rattle, rattle. Rattle, rattle.

Most of you feel . . . fine, physically unhurt, just maybe a little hungover from what just hit you, like waking up with a headache and a dry mouth. You do have the memory of pain, of how that unpleasant, searing sensation pulsed through you; but it's just a shadow now.

For those that are spiritually or magically sensitive, something is definitely wrong. Your senses feel a little dulled and constricted, like a weight is pressing down on you.

There are two exits to your compartment: one moving up the train towards First Class and the conductor, the other leading back, where you know there's at least one more passenger car behind you.

On each door, there is a glowing sigil of a watchful eye, an unwavering and unpleasant blue.

Comments

[ancestuous]

I did too. A word appeared on my arm - "formless" - but disappeared. Did it do the same?

[monere]

No? I can still feel it there.

[casually yanking one of her socks down to double check]

[arsgoetia]

The word end is written there, still throbbing painfully.

[monere]

[nice]

Is that what yours said?

[to Kaname]

[ancestuous]

No, this one says "end".

It's giving us more parts of the puzzle when we touch the lights.

[monere]

Huh. Are you up for trying to grab a different one?

[ancestuous]

Yes.

[he nods, then touches one on a window next to them]

[arsgoetia]

With a rush of relief, "End" vanishes from Naomi's leg, and as sears itself into Kaname's cheek.

Swoopy hair (who introduced himself to Bakura as Hale so I can finally use his name) comes over. "Oh, I see what you guys are doing. Need another set of hands?"

[ancestuous]

[a hiss of pain]

Y-yes. It would help. Ah - what does this say?

[he touches his cheek where it burns]

[arsgoetia]

"Ass. No, wait... as."

[monere]

"As". Is this going to be an anagram thing?

[ancestuous]

We need more words - someone touch the next light.

[monere]

[grabbin' for the next one]

[arsgoetia]

Hale waits until that one appears and then taps a light too.

When you've gone through all thirteen lights, turning them on and off, here's the jumble of words you have:

- formless
- end
- as
- return
- so
- and
- world
- nothingness
- the
- life
- must
- was
- void

[ancestuous]

[I hope someone wrote this down]

Is this a password for the door?

[arsgoetia]

"Probably? We probably have to input it somehow."

[monere]

So it's probably about figuring the order they go in.

[arsgoetia]

"Agreed."

[ancestuous]

Yes.

[going over to the laser door let's go]

[arsgoetia]

"Uh, I don't see any way to put words in there?" Hale follows.

[monere]

I thought they were attached to the lasers?

[arsgoetia]

"I mean, let's think this through," Hale says. "We have lil button lights that turn on and off, and words in a random order that the buttons gave us, and lasers that we can't get through in the same color. I think unless we wanna risk disrupting the lasers, or we think reciting the words is enough, we have to do something with the buttons."

[ancestuous]

I see - we do them in the order of the correct sentence. If we're wrong, it will keep harming us.

What word would likely start a sentence? "The"?

[monere]

[propping a hand under her chin, looking thoughtful (and vaguely annoyed)]

'The world must end' would be relevant here, right? But what about the rest of it?

[arsgoetia]

"That leaves us with, uh. 'Formless as return so and nothingness life was void'."