Well... all things considered, it's a lot more luxurious here. The hotel's so big, and we all have our own rooms, and food and tea service... and now there's a whole new floor to explore.
The other place was a small lodge out in the mountains, surrounded with snow. There wasn't as much to explore. Oh, but there were less of us, too. 26 people in total.
Shorter time span, less stuff. That tracks with what I've heard from others so far. [ he is going to pick the... right? sorry about the paintings starting to look more and more horrifying as they go. ] You hear from some of the people going through their third rounds? Some of them had a two week venture at first too.
I... did hear that there was another case like this, a place where people who'd already been abducted before had to go through all of this again... It seems almost too cruel.
[Everywhere she looks, there are hateful, accusing stares pointed at her. She draws a little closer to Cloud as they walk, trying not to stare back at the paintings.]
[ he notices her drawing closer and turns to stare at her a little ]
Don't pay attention to those. They're not real. [ it's easy for cloud to say that until he is jumpscared by sephiroth when i think it is most funny. ] ... Some people are on their third go here. It's messed up, but they're nowhere near giving up anyway. So we can't let a stupid room drag us down.
[ why is he trying to pep talk. he is so bad at it. ]
[It's okay, it doesn't take much to cheer Estelle up, especially when she knows it's coming from a not-particularly-cheery person. Her expression lightens.]
[ idk what you mean. look at cloud. he is a beacon of joy at all times. he is also a little relieved she's not moping because he has no idea what to do with that. ]
Right. And right now, our best is getting the hell out of here. Pick a fork.
[ maybe if she has like, a task, it'll be better? surely? it's fine ]
[ I said I'd do it when it'd be funniest, so there's just a giant portrait of Sephiroth learing the second they turn right. Cloud jumps and reflexively attempts to take out his big ass sword.
it hits the top of the frame of the corner they stepped in with a BONK. there is not enough space. he swears and somehow still hasn't realized sephiroth isn't real ]
[They continue, and soon, they come across the same three pictures Estelle saw at the beginning. Her friends. Only now, it's as if thick vines have grown through the image, choking and crushing them, leaving only the bodies on display. The space around them takes on a smoky, sickly hue.
Estelle gasps, stumbling back, hands over her face.]
[ cloud doesn't bother looking at paintings (because he is, in fact, looking pointedly away from them), but it's hard to miss estelle's reaction. it's reflexive when he turns around to face her and gently grabs her shoulders, leaning a bit ]
Hey. Estelle, look at me. It's not real. [ he sounds sure even if he does not sound particularly comforting ]
[She puts a hand on his arm, holding on lightly enough that he could shake her off if he wanted -- or needed to. It's just enough to keep her grounded, her eyes away from the paintings as she continues forward along with him.]
[ he will be nice because they are in painting hell and let her keep her arm on his. never mention this.
there's so many fucking paintings left but cloud is walking briskly and ignoring them so they can finally suddenly stumble the hell out of here! at some point!! please!!! ]
... Some of them look like they could have happened for me, too.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
The other place was a small lodge out in the mountains, surrounded with snow. There wasn't as much to explore. Oh, but there were less of us, too. 26 people in total.
no subject
no subject
[Everywhere she looks, there are hateful, accusing stares pointed at her. She draws a little closer to Cloud as they walk, trying not to stare back at the paintings.]
no subject
Don't pay attention to those. They're not real. [ it's easy for cloud to say that until he is jumpscared by sephiroth when i think it is most funny. ] ... Some people are on their third go here. It's messed up, but they're nowhere near giving up anyway. So we can't let a stupid room drag us down.
[ why is he trying to pep talk. he is so bad at it. ]
no subject
You're right. I have to do my best, too...
no subject
Right. And right now, our best is getting the hell out of here. Pick a fork.
[ maybe if she has like, a task, it'll be better? surely? it's fine ]
no subject
[Is that an affirmation, or a decision?]
I mean, let's go right!
[She leads the way to the right! To yet more rows of eerie paintings.]
no subject
it hits the top of the frame of the corner they stepped in with a BONK. there is not enough space. he swears and somehow still hasn't realized sephiroth isn't real ]
no subject
Wh, what was that?
no subject
he lets go of the sword and tries to put it back discreetly. he looks too obviously embarrassed for it to work. ]
... The... Sorry. Painting threw me off. I didn't... think it'd be so big.
[ why was it LIFE SIZED ]
no subject
N-no, it's okay! It's like this place was created to put people on edge... [She gives him a sympathetic look.]
no subject
[ anyway wow let's go THIS WAY, FAR AWAY FROM THE PAINTING ]
no subject
How long are we going to be stuck in here? There's still no exit in sight...
no subject
[ it can't possibly be an infinite art gallery! that would be rude.
the pictures are just getting worse as they go. more judgment! more blood! yay!! ]
Anything like this happen back in yours? Because we didn't have cursed art galleries in the Realm.
no subject
[They continue, and soon, they come across the same three pictures Estelle saw at the beginning. Her friends. Only now, it's as if thick vines have grown through the image, choking and crushing them, leaving only the bodies on display. The space around them takes on a smoky, sickly hue.
Estelle gasps, stumbling back, hands over her face.]
No... no!
no subject
Hey. Estelle, look at me. It's not real. [ he sounds sure even if he does not sound particularly comforting ]
no subject
I...
Y, you're right... it's just...
[She shakes her head, trying to push the image out of her mind.]
no subject
[ and he does, honestly! sometimes you are a person with constant ptsd and hallucinations, so you know. you know. ]
... Focus on me for now. We've gotta be getting close to an exit.
no subject
[She puts a hand on his arm, holding on lightly enough that he could shake her off if he wanted -- or needed to. It's just enough to keep her grounded, her eyes away from the paintings as she continues forward along with him.]
no subject
there's so many fucking paintings left but cloud is walking briskly and ignoring them so they can finally suddenly stumble the hell out of here! at some point!! please!!! ]
... Some of them look like they could have happened for me, too.
[ is this comforting ]