☆TRACK II: DISCORD AND RHYME

[interdimanagers]

Who: Kidnapped Pride Members
What: Corporate hazing, in the style of themepark murder clowns.
When: October 18th-19th.
Where: A large, empty carnival, apparently.
Warnings: This is basically Saw games for babies.

“Burning the ground, I break from the crowd I'm on the hunt, I'm after you. I smell like I sound, I'm lost and I'm found And I'm hungry like the wolf.” ☆DISCORD AND RHYME It’s your first free night after a particularly feverish series of performances. It’s a comparatively lazy Sunday evening - one that all of you are obligated to spent in the HQ. Things are normal, at least as normal as they ever are, are you’re free to go to bed early and for once have the luxury in sleeping in tomorrow. At least theoretically. Whether you go to bed or not, you’ll find yourself drifting off - and then the sound eerie, peculiar music...like the sound of an old music box, with a soft feminine voice singing wordlessly along. You’ll fall asleep, hard, and when you wake up you are somewhere else. "【Sad and Scary Song】"Come Out And Play"Creepy Music Box】[HD]" (Watch on YouTube) ☆THE SACRIFICES At first, you wake up in what seems like some kind of boiler room. Some parts of the floor are slick with moisture, and your hands and feet are bound, with your wrists locked to the industrial piping behind you. Regaining consciousness is slow and difficult, as if it wasn't meant to come to you quite yet. You can hear water and steam flowing through some of the pipes, and the complex is obviously still active with...whatever it's supposed to be doing. But maybe you're just too busy freaking out at your evident kidnapping to think too hard about circumstantial evidence. You aren't the only one in here. Whether they are awake or unconscious, four other Pride members are bound nearby. Around the side of some of the machinery, you can see the glow of computers, though you can't quite see the screens - there are chairs, though, and a cup of Starbucks that is still steaming. Whoever brought you here is probably still around, and there's no telling how long you have before they return. (Click here for your top level!) ☆THE CHALLENGERS You wake up sitting in what appears to be a bumper car of all things - you know, one of those little vehicles you drive around at carnivals to crash into each other? You're sitting in one, and your hand are handcuffed around the bar behind you. Your neck is definitely sore, like you've been sitting like this for a while. It only takes a moment to realize two things: 1) you actually are in a theme park of some sort, and it's still night time, and 2) you're not alone. At least a dozen other Pride members are handcuffed to the bumper cars around you, all pointed in the direction of an empty stretch of wheel worn floor - like an audience, intended to view a speaker. Whoever brought you here doesn't give you much time to be confused. They stride into the center of the "stage" like they own the place. They are wearing a hooded coat of a decidedly gothic style, with a hood that shadows their face. When they speak, they sound feminine - almost like the voice you remember putting you to sleep earlier. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen," they say, "to your trial by fire." (Click here for your top level!) “Strut on a line, it's discord and rhyme I'm on the hunt, I'm after you. Mouth is alive with juices like wine And I'm hungry like the wolf.”

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► THE CONCLUSION PT 2

[interstellarnpcs]

The short hair woman and huge man move to the tarped rectangles, and each take a corner. With a solid tug the pull the fabric off of what appears to be two circus style animal cages. Inside of each is one of the failed teams, previously unconscious and just now beginning to wake up. Xanxus, Wakana, and Tiger are all soaking wet.

"Tah dah. Not dead. What did we tell you?" the woman says, as if they've just won a prize. She takes the keys to each cage out of her pocket and tosses them to the group. "They're all yours."

The members of the failed teams will remember blacking out in the darkness at the moment they had failed - Trucy will remember being threatened with a knife just before. Waking up in the cage will be the first thing they remember after that.

"I wouldn't expect too much from these chumps, though. They're never going to make it around here."

[blindfoldcode]

The second the cages are open, Kido is darting forward. Her emotions are all kinds of screwed up and most of the only people she's ever given a shit about are in those cages.

So just excuse her because no one is getting in her way to make sure they're okay. She remembered seeing someone burn to death tonight okay. Give her a break she's really freaked.

[tigermillionaire]

Tiger's only just waking up, which is weird, when he's pretty sure he wasn't going to wake up again. There's a surprising amount of noise going on around him, though, and its like the thick knot of despair and dread in his gut never really disappeared. To wait up with so many eyes on him - it's more than he can really deal with.

His make up is washed out and smeared all over his face from being dunked underwater for so long, particularly dark around his eyes. He seems pale even besides that, like someone who is sick with the flu. Even though he can see Kido nearby, it doesn't even really register - he just gets one look at Xanxus, and Wakana, along in the cage with him, and he wilts back against the bars, shielding himself with his arms like he's expecting to get hit.

[blindfoldcode]

She's glad she remembered to snatch up her hoodie from outside the swings as she moves over to him with it. He's drenched and he'll get sick and holy shit what is wrong with these people?

"Tiger?" Jesus, what even happened to him? Kido's gonna punch a somebody.

[tigermillionaire]

Tiger had just been hanging out in his room working on stuff when this all started, so he's only just wearing his boxers and a sleeveless black undershirt - it's what he usually wears to bed. He sees Kido advancing, and he sees Xanxus over to the side, and he loses control of himself. He rushes the cage's gate and books it onto the pavement, even while barefoot. He tries to run past Kido, too.

[stylistic_disloyalty]

Nursing a fat and bleeding lip and uncharacteristically silent throughout the proceedings and congratulations, Luci is none too pleased to see both Xanxus and Wakana in a cage. Nothing about this is amusing to her.

She bends down and picks up one of the keys and, keeping her eyes on the assholes responsible, walks over to the cage holding Xanxus and Wakana and unlocks it.

Wheels are turning as she watches the Predator members. Visibly turning.

[healyourheart]

Wakana is sulking as far away from Xanxus as she can get. As soon as the cage is open she climbs out without so much as a thank you to Luci and walks away as quickly as she can.

[stylistic_disloyalty]

Luci isn't expecting any kind of thank you from Wakana, but she does call after her:

"Princess, we're going back to the suite together. All five of us."

She's effectively circling the wagons here. She's had enough for one night, she didn't need them all going missing again.

[healyourheart]

She stops, but her reply is, "Only if he rides in the trunk."

[traumatizing]

You want a caged animal? Buddy, you've got one. It takes Terry a moment to process what's happening when he comes to, but the second he does he's up like a shot, pulling at the door like he expects to be able to rip it clean off.

He settles when that doesn't work, taking a deep breath and running a hand through his hair, but he still has that look in his eyes like he's about ready to smash something to bits.

"Somebody get me the fuck out of this cage." He says it under his breath, like a plea to no one, but he raises his voice to try and grab the attention of the Predator members, "so do you all get off on this horror movie bullshit or what? You're pathetic."

[interstellarnpcs]

"What's pathetic," the leader says, indicating the woman who has been standing with her this whole time, "is that three of you didn't stand a chance against Cass here, all by herself. Think about that for a moment."

This seems to be very much a 'feeding the trolls' moment. Its like these three have been waiting for this reactions like a much anticipated dessert.

[traumatizing]

You know when you're making the complete wrong choice in a situation, and you know you're making the wrong choice, but it's like you've left your body and you can see yourself fucking up but you just can't stop yourself.

That's Terry at this exact moment, white-knuckled grip on the bars as he completely fails to think about anything about arguing with this troupe of assholes. "Yeah, real funny how we could do shit all with you guys pulling the strings, huh?"

[magic_to_do]

[Trucy wakes up in a strange place for the third time that night. At least this time she's not tied up. And....

she checks, feeling around her face... they hadn't cut her. She remembers the knife in her face, but thankfully they didn't take the joke quite that far. With effort, she manages to steel herself and not cry. These jerks don't deserve her tears. Pinkie is here too, and she'll help the other girl up. Then she reaches out through the bars of the cage and calls out to her other bandmates.]

Kido! Tiger! Are you guys okay?

[Tiger looks like he's been through Hell. If Hell were a water park.]

[tigermillionaire]

[Tiger hears Trucy call out, from where he's still standing with Kido. Objectively speaking it's a relief to see her in one piece, since he knew she'd been there in the boiler room with him, and that had obviously turned out pretty badly for him.

At the same time, though, he feels too ashamed to act - he doesn't even really want any of them looking at him right now. So, with the relative wholeness of them confirmed, he finds himself just wincing and looking away, feeling sick to this stomach.]

[blindfoldcode]

We'll make it. [She hasn't been dumped in a cage at least. She puts her hands on Tiger's shoulder with a squeeze (one that means "don't go anywhere" in a more scared than demanding way) briefly before pulling away to search out the key.] So long as Tiger doesn't end up with pneumonia. What about you guys?

[magic_to_do]

We're... okay.

[Certainly not great. But also not dead or seriously hurt. That's a plus. And it seems like Tiger got the worst of it.]

I got locked up in a room full of gross bugs and one of those creeps waved a knife in my face but at least no one is hurt.

[Trucy is all for a good joke, and Halloween scares can be fun, but these jerks are just bullies. They took this waaaay too far. It's rare for her, but she's actually pretty mad.]

i can move this if you want

[mildwildchild]

[Jamie's clambered up into the cage Yosuke's in, but the big jerk is taking a while to come around and the other two are there to fuss over him anyway, so Jamie can spare a glance around. He spots Trucy, and that whole thing in the boiler room comes trickling back - for a while he'd thought it was just some kind of hallucination or something, that he'd just dreamed it all while he was pumped full of sedatives or whatever. His broiling anger dissipates somewhat and he feels a little bad now that he didn't even think about the other people tied up with him down there, even if he was kind of preoccupied worrying about his own horrible, screaming death.

[He waits until she's done checking in with her bandmates and then, a little hesitantly, he edges over to her.] Hey. Uh. You okay?

[magic_to_do]

[Trucy had honestly been too preoccupied in the funhouse to give much thought to the other captives either. This whole night has been a disaster. But she is glad he's okay.]

It's been a pretty rough night, but.... yeah. I'm alright. You?

[She even manages to pull up a weak smile.]

[mildwildchild]

[That's a lot more than Jamie can muster right now. The most he can manage is a sort of half-hearted grimace and a light shrug.]

Yeah, I'll live. I'm just glad it's over.

[He stares at the floor of the cage for a moment.] ...I was going off about murdercams and stuff back there, wasn't I.

[He kind of remembers that part, at least.]

[twoscompany]

"You--"

Rage. It practically emanates over her as she stares at the Predators through the cut on her forehead. All this worry, all this pain, all of this...this hurt--towards people she cared about, and for what---

The woman Predator (Predator. Really. They did this to show them their place-) was still talking as Garnet turned on her heel and began to charge forward with an angry shout in her throat. Screw calm. This is unacceptable.

[interstellarnpcs]

Everyone has probably be anticipating that the big guy in the back would be the one to step forward in the case of a fight. Apparently not. Instead, the long haired woman (Cass, apparently) steps forward instead, putting herself between Garnet and the other two.

She doesn't try to take the first attack, though. She leaves that to Garnet. The ringleader doesn't seem interested in intervening.

[twoscompany]

There's really only one thing Garnet does, at this point. She takes a swing. Why wouldn't she, at this point, with what's happened?

[punchesyu]

"Who the hell do you think you are???!!!"

He shouts, enraged. His fists ball, and the knuckles start to turn white. He can't believe what had just happened, and now they were being treated like animals.

"You think you can just go around pulling this kinda crap?!"

[mildwildchild]

"Shut up, Yosuke." There's no real emotion in the comment, or at least not Jamie's usual snottiness. It's mostly because the adrenaline rush is wearing off and he's starting to succumb to utter exhaustion, but deep down he's relieved to see another of his bandmates in one piece. That's four accounted for, and surely the fifth is around here somewhere.

Someone else in the crowd beats him to the keys, so Jamie stands back until the door's been unlocked, and then he steps up and folds his arms on the edge of the cage floor, partly to keep himself upright and partly so he can peer up at Yosuke. "When you're done flipping out, get down here so we can find Sora and go home."

[punchesyu]

It's the tone in Jamie's voice that really catches him off guard. Enough to get him to stop spazzing out at the hooded figures, turning his head in a small amount of shock. His resolve hasn't left him, his head turning only briefly to look back at the figures with a look of cold steel, before exiting the cage.

"Fine. Let's go." He spits, anger directed at their assailants rather than Jamie. He doesn't want to talk with them around. If he's going to talk to Jamie, he wants to talk alone. He starts to walk off, fighting the urge to do something stupid, expecting Jamie to follow.