Emerald

[dramatispersonae]

You find yourself standing on the shore of a great lake, or possibly a sea. It's difficult to tell, since the night is dark and there are no stars in the sky: only the cold light of the full moon shines down on you. It's enough to illuminate the smooth white pebbles of the beach and to reflect upon the few ripples upon the surface of the inky black water.

A large red torii gate stands in front of you. It marks the start of a large wooden bridge, the rails of which have also been painted red. Tall wrought-iron stands with large candles stand in front of the two pillars of the gate, casting flickering light on the bridge. It's impossible to tell how far the bridge stretches out across the lake -- it simply seems to fade into the darkness.

Some distance behind you is a tall bamboo forest, so dense as to be impassible. A faint fog covers the ground, which seems to be carpeted with red spider lilies -- the heads of the blossoms peek over the fog. They creep all the way to the edge of the beach, the blood red of the flowers a stark contrast to the white stones.

You suddenly become aware of a woman in a crimson kimono and a broad hat with a veil standing behind you, among the lilies. It is impossible to make out of her face. She holds in her hands a silk-wrapped box with a pretty cord tied around it.

"Oh, you're crossing the bridge? Please, may I ask a favor of you? Would you take this box to the other side for me? You'll find a woman at the other end of the bridge there. Please give it to her."

She hands the box to one of you before you can react one way or another.

"I have to tell you, though, that you absolutely must not open the box, or modify it in any way. But that's simple enough, isn't it? It shouldn't be much trouble at all."

And with that, she vanishes, as though she was never there at all.

Comments

INSTRUCTIONS/NOTES:

[dramatispersonae]

• Please proceed across the bridge.
• There will be three "rounds." A decision of some sort must be made in each.
• Powers are turned off. Your characters do not have any items with them.
• Someone must carry the box at all times. It's up to you who carries it, and you can pass it amongst yourselves, but any attempt to put it down or throw it away will end in failure. It just... doesn't work.

MINGLE

[dramatispersonae]

[Anything you want to do before getting on the bridge goes here.]

Re: MINGLE

[twilight_boy]

Uh, okay, we can do that...

Hey, where'd she go?

Re: MINGLE

[itsalluseless]

Wherever she came from, I'd assume.

I wonder what's in that box...

Re: MINGLE

[twilight_boy]

Maybe we'll find out at the end.

Re: MINGLE

[itsalluseless]

I hope so. Opening it before then would probably be a terrible idea.

ROUND ONE

[dramatispersonae]

It's difficult to tell how long you've been walking. The iron stands with candles are placed evenly along the railings, with enough distance between them that you'll find yourself walking through darkness briefly before you find the edge of the next pool of light. The bridge itself seems sturdy enough, though a sense of dampness pervades everything.

Eventually, you come across another torii gate. A young girl in a pretty kimono is crouched by the base of one of its pillars, staring down at one of her sandals -- the thong seems to have broken -- and sniffling. As you approach, she awkwardly wipes her tearstained face with the backs of her hands and stares up at you expectantly. You have the vague impression that she has a cute, round face that hasn't lost all its baby fat yet and that her eyes are puffy from crying, but even while staring directly at her, it'd be difficult to describe exactly what she looks like. She just looks… like a little girl.

"I-I broke my sandal," she says, voice quivering. "Would you please help?"

Re: ROUND ONE

[itsalluseless]

[crouching down next to her, big brother instincts activating]

Hey, it's okay. Of course we'll help.

Re: ROUND ONE

[twilight_boy]

[small smile] What he said.

Re: ROUND ONE

[dramatispersonae]

She gives a slightly watery but sincere smile. "Thanks! U-um, I just need something to tie it back together... oh! L-like that cord around the box you're holding."

Re: ROUND ONE

[itsalluseless]

...Ah, of course. We're not supposed to modify the box, though...

ROUND TWO

[dramatispersonae]

After another few minutes of walking -- or was it longer? It's difficult to tell -- another torii gate, this one white to match the bridge, rises into view. A young woman in a kimono with dangling sleeves stands in front of one of the pillars, wringing her hands nervously. Her hair has been done up in an elaborate style that seems to flatter her quite nicely. As with the little girl, you find it difficult to describe her face, other than "pretty." When she sees you, she shyly brings one of her sleeves up to cover her mouth. "I'm sorry to bother you," she says in a quiet voice, "but I've just come from getting my hair styled, and I heard it may rain… may I use the cloth from that box to cover it?"

Re: ROUND TWO

[itsalluseless]

...Let me guess, nothing but that specific cloth will do?

Re: ROUND TWO

[aheroemerges]

What's wrong with a jacket or something?

Re: ROUND TWO

[dramatispersonae]

"If it's too heavy, it might ruin my hair anyway..." She looks highly apologetic.

Re: ROUND TWO

[itsalluseless]

That seems to be how this game works. We have to either give up something from the box, or nothing at all.

ROUND THREE

[dramatispersonae]

You have to walk by a few more sets of candles -- seriously, how long is this bridge? -- before a third torii gate, ominously black, looms up before you. As soon as it comes into view, you can hear the unmistakable sound of a baby crying. A harried-looking woman in a kimono with the sleeves tied back, her hair in disarray, is rocking a baby in her arms, making soothing noises. It doesn't seem to be calming the baby any. She looks up as you approach, obviously distraught, and her eyes widen when she sees the box you're carrying. "Could that be-- oh, please, I know that box. It's candy from a famous store. Could I just have one piece, to calm my baby?" Her face is nondescript, but pretty in a tired sort of way.

Re: ROUND THREE

[aheroemerges]

Oh, so it's candy that's inside? ... Well, that's fine with me, I guess.

[looks at Roxas?]

Re: ROUND THREE

[twilight_boy]

[thinking a moment, then nodding]

Re: ROUND THREE

[aheroemerges]

So I guess we have to open it up, huh?

Re: ROUND THREE

[twilight_boy]

[in for a penny, in for a pound] All right, let's do this. [opening the box]

THE OTHER SIDE:

[dramatispersonae]

A beach made of white pebbles stretches out in front of you, leading to a dense forest of bamboo. Red spider lilies carpet the floor of the forest. As you step down from the bridge onto the beach, a woman in a black kimono and a broad hat with a veil appears. "I believe you have a delivery for me," she says.

Re: THE OTHER SIDE:

[aheroemerges]

Uh... Yyyeah, basically.

[PRESUMABLY HANDING OVER OF BOX GOES HERE?]

Re: THE OTHER SIDE:

[dramatispersonae]

She takes the box, somehow radiating disapproval despite her expression not being visible. When she opens the top of the box, it's the same divided interior that held round candies that you saw before -- except instead of candies, there are eyeballs in there, with one space empty thanks to the candy you gave the woman earlier. All the eyes turn to stare at you accusingly. The woman sighs.

A freestanding door appears on the beach. "You may leave."

Re: THE OTHER SIDE:

[aheroemerges]

[EYE... BALLS... did we feed a baby an eyeball.]

—Wasn't that candy before?