[GAME 38] RUBY

[dramatispersonae]

[You find yourself on a circular island of grass. Though night has fallen, the island is surprisingly well-illuminated by a stone lantern at its center. The lantern's light reaches far enough to reveal that the island is surrounded by water -- a pond? The water's glassy, greenish surface is only broken by the stems of huge white lotuses. Each lotus flower seems to glow ever so slightly, providing just a bit more light to the scene. The air is full of the scent of flowers and greenery, and the sound of crickets is almost deafening at first. It doesn't seem a stretch to assume that you're in some sort of garden.

Four ornamental wooden bridges, painted red, stretch over the pond in opposite directions. You can't tell where they lead. For the moment, the entrance to each bridge is blocked by a thickly-woven rope with zigzags of white paper hanging from them.

There is no moon in the sky, and the stars are only dim points of light.]

Comments

[MINGLE-ISH]

[dramatispersonae]

Re: [MINGLE-ISH]

[heliokleptic]

[o.o]

Whoa... what's with this place?

Re: [MINGLE-ISH]

[adharma]

Oh? Interesting.

Re: [MINGLE-ISH]

[nervwracking]

Seems like it.

Re: [MINGLE-ISH]

[heliokleptic]

Hey, who are you?

[RULES]

[dramatispersonae]

[A scroll appears next to the lantern, and a moment later the Masked Lady's voice seems to issue forth from everywhere and nowhere at once.]

Are you familiar with hanafuda? Their name means "flower cards." You can play all sorts of games with them. Most of these games involve matching certain cards together in order to gain the most points. I enjoy card games well enough, but they can be a bit… boring on their own, don't you think? So let's find a way to, mm, make things a little more interesting.

There are thirteen islands in this garden. Each island, save the one you are currently standing on, represents a hanafuda suit. When you cross to an island, you will be given a choice of three tasks to perform. If you perform the task of least difficulty, you will be awarded the card with the least value, whereas the most strenuous task will give you the most valuable card. Some of these tasks involve your entire team. Others involve only a single person.

You will five islands -- which islands you choose is entirely up to you -- and you may only carry a maximum of three cards at a time. When you complete your fourth task, you will be asked which card you would like to discard. Certain combinations of cards will give you more points than others, so please choose carefully.

I wonder what tasks you will perform…? Ufufufu…

[The ropes blocking the bridges fall away. When unrolled, the scroll provides a map of the garden. On the reverse side is a summary of the rules:

一。 Move to an island. Obviously, you may only move to islands connected to the one you are currently on.
二。 Choose a task to perform. Once you have performed it, you will be given a card.
三。 You will visit a total of five islands and perform a task on each.
四。 When you have acquired more than three cards, you will be asked to discard one.]

[CHERRY]

[dramatispersonae]

[Your footsteps echo on the wooden bridge as you cross it. In the middle of the bridge, there is a stretch where everything is completely dark save for the dim lotus-lights. But this quickly passes.

The island you come to is also grassy, circular, and lit by a stone lantern. However, unlike the starting island, it is dominated by a large cherry tree in full bloom that almost seems to embrace the lantern. The island is carpeted with its blossoms. As though to drive the theme home, the paper pasted to the face of the lantern has the emblem of a cherry blossom on it. In front of the lantern is a stone step on which three cards have been placed.



Upon seeing the cards, you instantly know the task associated with each.

✿ cherry with curtain: one person must kiss another deeply (10 points)
✿ red-lettered tanzaku: each person must kiss another on the lips (5 points)
✿ plain cherry: one person must a kiss another on the lips (1 points)

Which will you choose?]

[adharma]

The one with the most points, of course.

[heliokleptic]

[............//////////]

Acedia!

[CLOVER]

[dramatispersonae]

[This island is carpeted in a fresh green bed of clover. Are there any four-leaf clovers in the bunch? Who knows? It might be a pretty sight, but there's a strange sound in the distance. Something like the snuffling and pacing of a wild animal. In the center of the clover patch is a lantern, and in front of the lantern is a stone step on which tree cards have been placed.



Upon seeing the cards, you instantly know the task associated with each.

✿ clover with wild boar: one person is not-so-mildly attacked (10 points)
✿ solid red tanzaku: everyone is mildly attacked (5 points)
✿ plain clover: one person is mildly attacked (1 point)

Which will you choose?]

Re: [CLOVER]

[adharma]

Hey, Knight. Any preferences?

Re: [CLOVER]

[nervwracking]

Clover with wild boar, or plain clover. Your pick. I'll take this one.

[CLOVER WITH WILD BOAR]

[dramatispersonae]

[From out of nowhere, the biggest wild boar you've ever seen -- or imagined, let's be honest -- rushes onto the island. It bowls Kaji over and attacks him with its tusks. There's nothing he can do to fend it off -- it's too strong and too sudden. Then, as quickly as it appeared, it vanishes. Kaji is left with a multitude of shallow slashes on his arms where he presumably tried to fend off the boar, and a painful goring wound in his shoulder.

Two bridges appear, leading to other islands. The card you have earned remains on the step, while the other two disappear.]]

Re: [CLOVER WITH WILD BOAR]

[nervwracking]

[stands up, hand on his shoulder, all sore but definitely not making a scene or anything. putting his gun back inside his coat]

That was a big one . . .

[PINE]

[dramatispersonae]

[This island is carpeted in pine needles. Small wonder, as the lantern has been almost completely engulfed in the branches of a towering pine tree. A beautiful kimono patterned with cranes hangs from the branches above the lantern. In front of the lantern is a stone step on which three cards have been placed.



Upon seeing the cards, you instantly know the task associated with each.

✿ pine with crane: a full transformation until you are finished with the next island (10 points)
✿ red-lettered tanzaku: a set of talons and a pair of wings for the rest of the game (5 points)
✿ plain pine: a set of talons for the rest of the game (1 point)

Which will you choose?]

Re: [PINE]

[heliokleptic]

...man, why isn't Charity here for this.

Re: [PINE]

[nervwracking]

...?

Re: [PINE]

[adharma]

. . . huh. Hey, Kaji do you want this one too. . . . Oh, and I guess I can help you with that injury.

Re: [PINE]

[nervwracking]

[a-actually laughs]

I'm not turning down any help. And sure, I'll take this one. Doesn't sound worse than the boar, anyway.

[PEONY]

[dramatispersonae]

[The lantern on this island is almost completely surrounded by peony plants in various shades of white and pink, with the majority being blood red. Occasionally, a butterfly floats in to hover above one of the flowers before fluttering away. In front of the lantern is a stone step on which three cards have been placed. It is covered in suspicious reddish-brown stains. A knife lies next to the cards.



Upon seeing the cards, you instantly know the task associated with each.

✿ peony with butterfly - one member of the team must cut off the tip of their index finger (10 points)
✿ solid blue tanzaku - each member of the team must lightly slice their palm with the knife (5 points)
✿ plain peony - each member of the team must prick a finger with the knife (1 point)

Which will you choose?]

Re: [PEONY]

[adharma]

Ah, I don't mind.

Re: [PEONY]

[heliokleptic]

You're already concentrating on Kaji, I'll do it.

[GOING FOR KNIFE.

[PAULOWNIA]

[dramatispersonae]

PAULOWNIA
[The lantern on this island is cradled between the trunks of two paulownia trees. The blossoms, thus underlit, look almost like a halo around it. In front of the lantern is a stone step on which three cards have been placed. And in front of the step is a large kimono chest. It looks old and worn and utterly unremarkable.



Upon seeing the cards, you instantly know the task associated with each.

✿ paulownia with phoenix: one person must climb into the chest (10)
✿ plain paulownia: each person must reach into the chest (5 points)
✿ plain paulownia: one person must reach into the chest (1 point)

Which will you choose?]

Re: [PAULOWNIA]

[adharma]

I'll do it.

Re: [PAULOWNIA]

[heliokleptic]

[get into a chest...? idgi]

Uh... sure. This is our last one anyway, right?