They can read our memories? ... That would explain the profiles... and our rooms...
[It's all coming together. While she's processing this, Estelle happens to glance back to the images of her friends... only to find them suddenly staring back in her direction. Coldly.
A bunch of garbage? [ he'll say it for her! he saw it! ] They're always like that. Whatever truth there is, they find a way to make it sound like the worst thing possible.
You're Estelle, right? [ they both can read! wowie! cloud turns a corner and is greeted with a picture of Barrett looking very mad. jokes on you, art gallery, that is just how Barrett looks at cloud!! so he is only mildly jump scared!!! ] How long were you in yours?
Yeah. About eight weeks for me. [ he guesstimates because the real time sink of redacted is a mystery better not thought about. ] From what I can tell, six to eight weeks is the majority. Shortest I've heard was five days.
[ so two weeks is kind of middle ground? probably? he pauses because the path splits into equally horrible looking paintings. dislike. ]
Anything stand out in yours compared to this place?
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.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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They're just paintings...? [She draws a little closer to one wall... then freezes.] Wait, I know these people!
[On that wall are the portraits of three people very familiar to her.]
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[ this does not surprise him because he is from a memory game, but once he looks at her paintings he catches sight of people he knows as well nearby!
the important one is the dog. ]
... So, it's all portraits of people we know...?
[ he does not like that ]
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Anyway, she nods. Yes, they're friends. She looks to the paintings of Cloud's friends, and then to him.]
How do they know so much about us?
Or... is this all just an illusion?
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[ he looks around at the paintings. estelle also has a dog, which means her party is valid. shakes hand in valid parties. ]
But this could be an illusion anyway. I don't think it's an either or thing.
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[It's all coming together. While she's processing this, Estelle happens to glance back to the images of her friends... only to find them suddenly staring back in her direction. Coldly.
She gasps and gives a start.]
Did... did they just move? They look different...
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[ but he is distracted by what estelle says and hmm. yeah. they sure are looking at her. cloud decides against looking at his own portraits for now. ]
... C'mon, let's keep moving. I don't want to see what else "haunted art collection" has in store for us. There's gotta be an exit somewhere.
[ SURELY THEY WOULDN'T JUST BE LOCKED IN WITH TRAUMA ]
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No, we didn't have anything like that. I was really surprised to see the guestbook here.
Let's see, yours said that your name is Cloud... right? And that you're good at, um...
[She remembers what she read, but she's having a hard time recalling something that isn't unflattering.]
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You're Estelle, right? [ they both can read! wowie! cloud turns a corner and is greeted with a picture of Barrett looking very mad. jokes on you, art gallery, that is just how Barrett looks at cloud!! so he is only mildly jump scared!!! ] How long were you in yours?
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Two weeks. I take it it was longer for you...?
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[ so two weeks is kind of middle ground? probably? he pauses because the path splits into equally horrible looking paintings. dislike. ]
Anything stand out in yours compared to this place?
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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.
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[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.]
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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. ]
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You're right. I have to do my best, too...
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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 ]
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[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.]
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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 ]
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Wh, what was that?
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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 ]
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N-no, it's okay! It's like this place was created to put people on edge... [She gives him a sympathetic look.]
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[ anyway wow let's go THIS WAY, FAR AWAY FROM THE PAINTING ]
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How long are we going to be stuck in here? There's still no exit in sight...
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[ 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.
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[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!
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