TerrorFest 2018 - Zero Escape

Your eyes take in each smear or piece of grime as you walk into the dark foyer. You just left the registration desk and dropped off your phone, jacket, and other restricted or inconvenient personal items in the metal storage lockers located nearby, plastered with very eye-catching signs reminding that cellphones and recording devices were strictly prohibited and carried an immediate ban. Escape Mansion had an air of something unwelcoming, from the silence and solitude of the location to the emptiness of the reception area. Probably intentional though, given the situation.

You've been dying to try out Escape Mansion since it became a big thing - and why wouldn't you, with a multi-room, multi-hour format and sky-high production values - but you've never had the chance. First, it was the impossible long wait time with all the people trying to book. Then, it was the sudden shift to new ownership recently and an invitation-only format.

You cross down the narrow hallway to the only door in sight, sturdy metal with a keypad on it. It must be disabled, however, as the door opens as you tug the handle. The door leads into a small, almost pitch-black hallway, and you stumble bit as you reach the opposite door. With a deep breath, you try the handle and swing the door open.

Spoiler:

Your breath catches as you're greeted by a stunning library with impractically tall bookshelves. The room is dim, lit only by a crackling fireplace. Some chairs and a sofa are set near the fireplace, and two people already occupy them. On one of the chairs is a professionally-dressed woman in black pouring over a document. On the sofa, looking like a small boat in a large ocean, is a young man with spectacles, who smiles at your arrival.

As you approach, he points at a small table set between you and the seats. On it are several copies of what appears to be a waiver/non-disclosure agreement form. That must be what the woman is reading. The young man must have already signed his. You retrieve yours and take a seat to read over it.

It's fairly dense, with lots of legal jargon that makes your eyes glaze. You -

A) Force yourself to read over the whole thing before signing.

B) Skim over it and sign, then try to engage the others in conversation.

Spoiler:

Yù zǐ shuǐjīng

The vocalist of Shītǐ zhī xīn frowned as he studied the signs at the registration area. His nostrils flared up as his gaze fell upon the grime smeared on various locations of the lockers, even on some of the handles.

“Urrgh, why is this super elite place so dirty? I am always keeping my coat on me. One of these precious gems on it should be enough to pay a team of cleaners to make this place spick and span.”

Spotting the cleanest looking cabinet which was second from the end, Yù zǐ only had to give it a little pull to open it up. Probably the grime had turned into grease which let the cabinet’s railing slide with low friction.

“Well, if this thing gets robbed, I will be sure to sue whoever is running this place for more than it’s worth.” The rock singer gave his jewelled lucky microphone a small peck of a kiss before carefully placing it inside the cabinet and pushing it shut.

Turning the key to securely lock his belonging inside, Yù zǐ removed it out from the slot and pocketed it. He soon turned away and headed towards the narrow hallway on the side. Instantly, the first impression he got was that of an abandoned hotel. With the absence of people his senses quickly fell upon his surrounding and the closer he looked, he noticed how unkempt the entire place was in. Soon he reached the hallway with the door connected to a metal keypad lock. Apparently, it was out of power as the door simply gave way as he pulled on the handle. Continuing to follow the dark pathway, Yù zǐ wondered if all the lights of this section were out. He almost fell as his foot hit something hard on the way, probably a pushed-up section of the carpet, but thankfully he did an acrobatic thing to keep from tripping that he had learned from his almost embarrassing falls on the stage when his feet would get tangled up in the cords.

Yù zǐ finally made his way to the end of the dark corridor and breathed a sigh of relief as his hand reached the cold metal handle.
“Whew”. He whistled as he took in the view of the room. “What a stark change from the outside.” The surprised man remarked.

The Pop artist’s eye instantly fell upon the striking beauty who seemed to be glowing even more radiantly as the crackling fire shed its warm light over her. She seemed to be preoccupied in reading the parchment in her hand to notice Yù zǐ’s entrance but the other male occupant in the room was quick to acknowledge the newcomer as he gave off a beaming smile, which Yù zǐ responded with a half-smile of his own.

Noticing the table that the young man was so helpful in pointing out, Yù zǐ pressed down on the curved edge and leaned over as he sought out the form with his name on it. Upon finding his, the patient man picked it up and proceeded to go through it while still standing next to the round wooden table. It packed quite the pages, but he took his time to go through the entire contract. Being in the business had taught him how these stuffs are worded, and it is important to look out for the fine print.

~A) Force yourself to read over the whole thing before signing.~

B) Skim over it and sign, then try to engage the others in conversation.

Jacke deposits his phone into an empty locker, keeping his wallet and keys on him. He walks with his hands in his pockets down the hallway, somewhat disappointed by the run-down look. He was expecting something with higher production values considering the exclusivity of the place. Unless that was the aesthetic they were going for?

His reservations are unfounded as he enters the library. He whistles as he takes in the grandeur of the room.

"Damn, they didn't cheap out on the decor... makes you wonder why the hallway back there was so grimy."

He takes one of the waivers, but quickly loses interest in the text. He shrugs, skipping to the bottom and signs it. He places the signed form back on the table and makes a beeline for the empty chair, sinking into the cushions with a content sigh.

B - Skim over it and sign, then try to engage the others in conversation

Remy let out a low sigh when she placed her valuables in the locker. Why did she have to be invited to this during Halloween season? Normally she would be ecstatic to take part in the Escape Mansion, but in October? Once all the decorations went up, her friends had a hard time getting her to leave the house until November.

She fixed her cap and then carefully went down the dark and empty hallway towards the only door in sight.

After she entered, her eyes immediately go towards the books.

“Wow!”

It takes her a few seconds to realize that other people have already arrived and are busy signing some sort of form.

Remy headed to the table to grab one of the forms as indicated by the young man on the sofa. Her eyes glance over it... boring legal matters.

With elegant, almost calligraphy-like penmanship she signed the document and placed it back on the table.

“You signed yours right?” she asked the young man on the sofa. “Did it say anything other than the usual non-disclosure stuff?”

At the same moment she realized, that she probably should’ve introduced herself first.

“I’m Remy,” she added “What’s your name?”

B - Skim over it and sign, then try to engage the others in conversation

Morgan sighed as he read saw the storage lockers, as he sighed and felt around his cumbersome robe for a few seconds.  He had all sorts knickknacks that he probably shouldn't be bringing into the event, as he dropped a whole bunch of 'normal' items into the locker that would be considered 'against the rules' to this escape room... and he didn't want to has his reputation tarnished by getting thrown out after some of his tricks were discovered.

"How ominous." Morgan said in a mysterious tone, as he started to believe himself that this place was cursed.

He walked through the one door that seemed to be to where this hallway lead, as lowered his head and did his best to look like a mysterious spiritual medium.

"Good day everyone my name is Morgan Church, a humble medium" Morgan said with a light sly smile, as he slowly walked over to the forms and turned to Remy for a moment and stated in a kind but foreboding tone tone "You have quite an energetic spirit Remy, but be careful the darker souls here seem to be drawn to that."

With his presence as a medium established, he picked up the form and made him look like he was reading it intensely, but it was just more work so he only gave it a quick glance, as he sat down in one of the nearby chairs.

Choice A

You pour over every pain-staking word in the document, most of which seems to be standard legal jargon for waivers and non-disclosure agreements. However, it's far more wordy than most seem to be, sometimes to the point of incomprehensibility. One sentences makes you lose track halfway through of the point was and where the sentence began

The strange thing is, though, that on one page a sentence seems to be jammed haphazardly in, with no relation to the rest of the paragraph. At first, you think it's a typo, as you stare at the seemingly out of place line. Or... is it a clue? Has the game already begun?

Spoiler:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Choice B

The young man with the glasses looks slightly put out as Jacke seems more interested in snoozing than conversing, but he brightens up when Remy takes a seat on the sofa near him.

"Yup, signed mine right away," he says, smiling. At the second question, however, his smile takes a more embarrassed tone. "Actually, I kinda... glossed over it too. You should ask Alecia. She's the legal expert."

The woman in the smart black outfit glances up and offers a polite half-smile before returning to the document she's been studying

“I’m Kenny," he says offering a hand. "Nice to meet you."

His hand is a bit clammy, which he seems to realize as he pulls away. He wipes his hands on his pants and winces. "S-sorry, I'm a bit nervous. I've never done one of these before."

The door opens, and everyone looks up as a man dressed in an eccentric garb of fluid robes glides into the room with a theatric introduction.

"Church..." Alecia murmurs, raising an elegant eyebrow before returning to her document. "Ironic."

Kenny goggles as Morgan strides over to them and declares an ominous prediction to Remy before taking a seat.

"Woah," he mutters. "Is he for real? Can you read my palm or something?"

After a second, he retracts the hand he's thrust out and chuckles. "On second thought... maybe that's not a great idea." Then his expression tightens as he bites his lip. "Are there really darker souls here?" He glances around at the group like a frightened rabbit.

"I wouldn't take it too seriously," Alecia offers, shooting Morgan a somewhat disapproving look.

"You don't believe in fortune telling?" Kenny asked.

"I had a carnival fortune teller tell me I was going to get married young in a whirlwind romance," Alecia replied wryly, holding up her bare fingers. "I'm still waiting."

Kenny's shoulders seem to loosen a bit at this, and he lets out a soft chuckle. "Yeah, me too. Never had much luck with that," he says, picking at his cheek. "Or anything..."

Alecia frowns sympathetically, and Kenny blushes.

"Err, anyway, what do you guys do?" he asks, looking at Remy, then Jacke and Morgan. "I'm in computers."

A) Force yourself to read over the whole thing before signing.

Luna sighed, stretching her arms over her head, fingers woven together. After a couple seconds, she let her arms fall back to her sides. The dark environment around her practically screamed for her to put it down on a canvas with some kind of Halloweenish scene in the background. Maybe some pumpkin-headed scarecrows chasing someone through the halls? No. A carpet monster, rolling up around its unsuspecting victim.

She grinned at that thought as she reached for the giant door. It swung open with surprisingly little force, and she actually took a moment to halfway close it again before giving it a second tug. Weird.

Shrugging, Luna made her way into the room, where several other people appeared to be looking over some kind of contract. Right, how could she have forgotten the waiver form?

With a sigh, Luna pulled one of the papers from the table and sank into a chair to comb over it. She hated contracts, but one of the first lessons she'd learned in her line of work was to always read everything before signing anything. Otherwise, you might find out that your art didn't actually belong to you. She frowned at that sour thought, but it probably just looked like she was concentrating on the contract to anyone else nearby.

Spoiler:

Prisma*Illya wrote:

Master Post

Choice A

Spoiler:

Yù zǐ shuǐjīng

His emerald-eyes widened upon noticing the hidden text, “This is..” Yù zǐ quickly grew silent and covertly scanned the room to make sure no one noticed him exclaim. Thankfully everyone seemed to be conversing with eachother.

Yù zǐ gave a quick glance at the young lady with the blonde hair who had entered recently, she seemed to be frowning at that very moment while studying her contract, it made him wonder if she too had come across the same message.

Placing the form back on the table, Yù zǐ whipped out his pen from the inside pocket of his coat, he spent a second or two marvelling at the emeralds, jade and Amethyst gemstones before finally signing his fanciest Autograph which he usually saves for his fan, instead of the one used to sign banking forms. The free man gave one last quick read of the agreement to see if he missed anything. Once done reading, Yù zǐ placed his signed contract face down onto the table and let out an exhausted sigh of relief. It was finally over and now he could finally get into the action.


A lot of participants seemed to have been invited. Yù zǐ counted the number of contracts left on the table and the ones that some were still holding on to. The count didn’t match up. He shifted to look at the door he had previously entered through, expecting something to happen.

Morgan Church

Morgan gave a slight chuckle as Kenny asked him to read his palms, but his face soon twisted slightly into a light grimace when he started to hear the 'other' women's voice.

Ugh he hated people like this, this women had to the nerve to compare him, a medium, to a fortune teller, and felt like she had the right to question him?!  She knows absolutely nothing about 'his' craft!

"I'm a medium, not a fortune teller so I can't read palms or predict your future."  Morgan quickly blurted out,  as he gave a quick fierce glance in that insufferable woman's direction, "Though spirits can directly perceive our souls, so I can get a better idea of someone's true self and situation given enough time."

"Assuming those spirits don't play another prank on me, they get bored after spending so much time in the afterlife." Morgan stated with an exhausted laugh.

That's when Kenny mentioned what they did for a living, and Morgan's eyes lit up for a few seconds like he found a golden opportunity.

"As you know I am a medium, I have a shop over by Carson Mall.  Here's my card."  The medium stated with pride, as he handed a very professional business card to Kenny that gave the exact location of his shop and listed the various services he provided on the back of it, as he continued to say "Feel free to contact me, I could use someone who's good with computer to help build a good site for my business".

Remy

Remy shook Kenny’s hand. Before she could say anything else, a few other people entered the room.

One of them approached Remy, telling her something she didn’t expect. Her mouth opened slightly. Was this really true? Her eyes darted around the room, wondering who he could’ve meant with this.

The others quickly denounced the medium as a carnival act, but Morgan persisted, even handing out a business card.

After the moment is over, she remembered  her original inquiry.

“I’m a dancer, studying to be a filmmaker,” she answered Kenny before turning towards Alecia.

“Are you a lawyer or something?” she asked, “If so, is there anything important in the waiver I should know about?”

“It’s like a whole different language,” she muttered her complaint.

Jacke

Jacke watches the proceedings from his position in the chair. He smiles a bit at the banter going on between Morgan and Alecia.

"Hey man, whatever floats your boat. Good for you if you believe in that stuff," he says to Morgan.

"Well Kenny, it's good to meet you. The name's Jacke." He gives Kenny a grin from his position in the chair. He didn't seem to be in any hurry to get out of it.

"I'm kinda in between jobs right now. Haven't found the right thing for me, y'know?"

Choice B

Alecia raised an eyebrow at Morgan's heated response to her mistake. She shrugged and watched as he then handed out a business card to Kenny, looking considerably more cheered at the prospect of more business. And doing business, apparently, as he seemed to offer Kenny a job opportunity.

"Thanks," Kenny said, smiling and tucking the card away. "That sounds pretty cool."

If you believed in that sort of thing, maybe. Alecia turned her attention to Remy and smiled.

"I am," she replied, folding her arms. "I work for the district attorney's office. As for the waiver, well, it's even more thorough than most of the contracts I've encountered, but nothing to be too concerned about." She smiled at Remy's complaint and shrugged. "There's a lot of loopholes that need to be closed, and believe me, every one's been tried before. It's not intentionally obtuse. Not most of the time, anyway."

The man in the chair next to her pipes up at last, introducing himself as Jacke and explained that he was between jobs.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Kenny replied, tugging on his sleeve. "I haven't had the best of luck with jobs since I graduated. Just... not great fits." He shrugged.

Just then, the door opened. A man strode in, tall and well-built in a black suit. His stroked a small, trim goatee, a contrast to his hairless scalp, as he inspected the room. "Hmph. Some effort put into this room, at least." He glances up at the portrait over the fireplace and narrows his eyes before turning and walking over to a cart set up in the corner with glasses and decanter of liquor.

"Yeah, I noticed that when I first walked in," Kenny says, following the man's gaze up at the painting. "Pretty creepy, right?"

"Saturn Devouring His Son," the man interjects, returning with a glass filled with the amber liquid. "One of Francisco Goya's Black Paintings."

Kenny gazes up at the painting again and winces before looking at the man. "Are you an art critic?"

The man gazes at him a moment as he takes a seat, his eyes even more piercing behind his colored lenses. "No."

With that, he turns his attention to his contract.

"Uh..." Kenny shifts awkwardly. "I'm Kenny, by the way."

The man ignores him, his eyes flying across the form. It's not the quick look of someone uninterested, but the look of a man who takes in things very quickly. His eyes lock onto something for a moment, then slide off and continue their rapid movement.

"You're Pierce Ellison, aren't you?" Alecia says, her eyes fixed on him. "The head of Cybers?"

Pierce glances up a moment, then back down at the form. "Do I know you?"

"In a manner of speaking..." she murmurs. She doesn't elaborate, and Pierce doesn't ask.

"Uh... does anyone else want a drink?" Kenny offers, getting up. "I'm not that good with alcohol." He glances at Pierce, who downs his drink with expertise without looking up. "But... maybe it'll help loosen me up, you know?" He laughs a touch awkwardly.

Choice 1 Accept.

Choice 2 Decline.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Choice A

By the time you've finished reading and signing your document, Kenny has already gotten up to get the drinks. It's probably better this way. After reading what you have, it seems better to stay on your toes for this experience.

Still it's best to get some idea of who you'll be participating in this experience with tonight. You look around at the others and decide to introduce yourself.

Join rolled his eyes as he dropped of his stuff in the metal box, but he is a cunning man after all, he was able to swipe a few coins from his wallet before putting the rest of his stuff in. As he looked around the room that he was introduce to the painting on the wall was quite intense. The fireplace and chairs felt welcoming, so why does this picture feel out of place.

Eventually some guy with spectacles gave him a paper to sign, looking at this NDA he wanted to ask for a lawyer but it be a waste of time, and to read such a thing wouldn't help him in any way.... unless there was a loophole? Nahh..

Choice B.) quickly skim and sign.

Well going to grab a drink while waiting to see what to do next, apparently he was late so was there anyone there that he can still interact with.

Join sat on one of the chairs deep in thought thinking what to do next.

Cyrus Winter

Cyrus was the last to arrive, having been delayed by a call from his company's most recent client. The man happened to be very excitable, thanking him for a job well done multiple times and fervently inviting him for a meal in order to fully express his gratitude. As a former high-ranking soldier, Cyrus started fairly high up in the company hierarchy, and had climbed near the top in the few years he'd been there, but preferred to remain hands-on and do the 'dirty work' personally.

This time, he and his troupe had provided security for a wealthy diamond-merchant. While most jobs were quiet for the most part, this particular one had ended up being fairly exciting, as they had been attacked while crossing a desert. He didn't find the other man's gratitude strange, as he'd had stood to lose a couple hundred million had the cargo been taken. After finally managing to get the man to hang up after agreeing to take the whole troupe to dinner with him in a week, Cyrus finally put away his things and headed inside. He felt just a tad apprehensive about the extremely strict security and the strange location. His instincts as a soldier told him something was... off.

Quietly making his way inside and huddling away in a corner, he carefully read the contract from top to bottom, making sure to go through everything carefully a few times over. As a taciturn person, he kept away from the conversation for the most part. He'd seen a great many contract in his day and he couldn't get how strange it was out of his head. Especially the one line about not volunteering. A strange sense of danger crept into him, but eventually he signed the contract, deciding he might as well get it over with since he was already present. He grinned at himself as the thought of their newest recruit popped into his head. The guy would probably throw a fit when he learned of this.

Cyrus politely refused the alcohol offered. Other than the strange unease he was feeling, he disliked dulling his senses even when off duty. He'd long been taught to always stay vigil, and he'd always kept to that teaching. It had gotten him out of no small amount of binds in his soldier days, and he wasn't about to change that now.

Spoiler:

Morgan Church (Choice 2 Decline)

Morgan couldn't help but laugh to himself when the women mentioned she was a lawyer. It made sense, their kind always messed with his process.

"Thanks, but I'm alright." Morgan kindly stated with a light smile, as Morgan's muscles began to become less tense again with him continuing to say with a slight laugh "A tipsy medium is an easy target".

In all honesty, he's always had a bad time with alcohol as the last time he drank he almost blabbed his secrets to a random customer.  Thankfully, he was able to pass it off as a possession because he lowered his guard, but he's stayed clear of the stuff in public since.

"Head of Cybers, hu?" Morgan mumbled with mild interest as he quickly gave a top-down glance of the commanding figure.

It was certainly an opportunity to be in the same room as someone with such a large name, but at the same time, he knew about the way he treated his employees.  Getting involved with someone like that was not worth it, way too much work.

Choice 2 - Decline

Remy nodded at Alecia’s word. What she said made sense. “Thanks,” she said.

Their attention was then directed to the picture hanging over the fireplace. Remy shuddered. It had escaped her notice before and the creepiness of it send a shudder down her back. Quickly she diverted her eyes from it.

Two more people arrived after Pierce and seeing as the room was filling up, hopefully they would soon be complete.

“No thanks, Kenny,” she said. “No alcohol for me. I don’t drink.”

Spoiler:

Prisma*Illya wrote:

Master Post

Choice A

Spoiler:

Yù zǐ shuǐjīng

The door was used couple of more times as more participants entered and signed their forms. The room’s atmosphere seemed to have lifted upon the arrival of all the colourful characters who had entered after his own entry. The robed individual (whose name Yù zǐ had missed out on registering due to him being preoccupied in studying his contract at the time of introductions) had become somewhat the centre of attraction as he chatted up with the spectacled kid who too was trying his best in making people comfortable.

A painting was mentioned upon the arrival of cue ball. Yù zǐ looks at it, but the depicted art doesn’t particularly strike any significant feeling within him, other than a “meh”. It was an artform. It's artist must have dedicated his time into perfecting it and that was what Yù zǐ respected.

At the mention of partaking in alcoholic beverages, the singer deeply frowned, wrinkles appearing on his otherwise blemish free forehead. Yù zǐ stayed away from drinks that affected his vocal cords.

The Performer noted that the robed individual who had reined in his urge to partake in Alcohol, was still holding on to his business card. Observing this individual piqued Yù zǐ‘s interest. The person seemed to be determined and somewhat knowledgeable.

Yù zǐ placed his hand into the left inside pocket of his coat and brandished out a thin rectangular box as he approached the robed man from the side.

“Hey man, I like your attitude. I’m sorry I didn’t catch your name earlier. Yù zǐ, Yù zǐ shuǐjīng is the name.” Yù zǐ flipped opened the black casing that had a single Amethyst gemstone fused into the centre of the front panel and slid out his dark toned calling card that had the laser etched Green Neon logo of his band and name stylized in the middle. The rest of the necessary general contact info was present on the flip side. “This is my band’s info. You can reach me through my manager, Sǐwáng bǎoshí, anytime. I am a fellow performer, so I get it. I like people who are dedicated to their craft and abide by their strong values. Tell me, that what you do, do you find pleasure in it and has it been profitable for you?”

Choice 1 - Accept

Jacke listens to Pierce talking about the painting. The seriousness of the man surprises him. He should learn to lighten up a bit! Then again, being head of a large company wouldn't leave much room for relaxing...

He is distracted from the painting and Pierce when Kenny offers a drink.

"I'm always down for a drink or two." He gets up from the chair and heads over to the same liquor Pierce drank from and pours himself a drink. He doesn't actually know what kind of drink it is, normally drinking beers and ciders instead, so he pours a fairly large portion for himself.

"So, there's a fair few bigwigs here huh?" he addresses the room in general. "Never thought I'd be sharing a drink with the CEO of Cybers." He raises the glass and takes a drink. Immediately he screws up his face as he realises the drink is much stronger than what he's used to.

Luna scrunched up her nose as she tried to make sense of the next line in the contract for the third time. It was so out of context... The only way someone could make a typo like this was if they were trying.

Wait. A. Second. What if they were trying? She read the odd line again, this time taking into account her current surroundings.

Okay, simple enough. She sighed and reached behind her head to pull out one of the three wooden pins holding her hair up in a swirled bun. It was actually a fairly nice pen, which she used to sign the bottom of the paper before sliding it back into place amidst her blonde locks.

With that finally taken care of, Luna took a moment to look around the room. A few more people had wandered in while she was busy with the contract. So, things were beginning to feel a little crowded in the seating area of the library.

A cursory glance told her that there were two other women, who seemed to be discussing the contract. She heard the words 'lawyer', 'waiver', and 'district attorney' specifically. Luna took a moment to consider that the prim looking woman had probably also seen the odd line in the contract before her focus moved to the others.

There were two muscular men, who she would probably have drawn lifting ridiculous things over their heads. It probably wouldn't be best to share that with them though. Another man was talking about spirits. She heard the word 'medium', and she rolled her eyes. Yeah, right.

The skinny man from before had his back to her now, leaning over a small bar to pour drinks. It was the words of the man with the tailored suit that drew her attention though. "One of fourteen." The words spilled from Luna's lips before she could stop them. When several pairs of eyes turned in her direction, she shrugged. "I had to write a paper on Two Old Ones Eating Soup during my undergrad studies."

"I'm Luna, by the way." Might as well introduce herself while she had their attention...

Morgan Church

Morgan tuned out from the world around him, calming his mind... or from an outsiders point of view it would look like he was communing with the spirits.  He reached into his pocket to pull out his 'phone', but he soon felt a mixture of realization and annoyance when he realized it wasn't there anymore

"Oh right, I had to put that away into the lockers." Morgan mumbled, as a sense of unease soon washed over him.

Though that was soon interrupted when a very stylish and dedicated man who was apparently part of a band approached him and began asking him questions out his craft.  He was a little irked when the man called him a fellow 'performer', as he quickly glanced around the room at the comment to see if anyone got the wrong idea from that.

"Morgan Church, a pleasure." Morgan said with his usual mysterious smile, as he reached out and took the very colorful card with exchanging his card with Yu Zi in response.  At the mention of strong values craft and strong values, Morgan's face lit up in joy that made his earlier self look like a walking corpse.

"Of course, it takes a lot of work and is dangerous to commune with the spirits, but it's worth it to see how much it helps my day to day customers."  Morgan stated now looking more exhausted but with a prideful smile now etched on his face, as he continued to say "While it is secondary, I do make enough to keep going with my regulars... however I do see great potential in expanding this business further."

"Though, I fear that we'll be here all day if we went into detail now, and we do have this room to escape." Morgan stated eager as his eyes began to light up with opportunity like it did with Kenny earlier

"We'll be in touch, you can count on that." He stated in a firm and absolute manner, to indicate that he was very serious about this connection and to convey respect to Yu Zi.

Still, he would need to do some research on the band... if they came out too brazen he might loose the mysterious setting that drew people to his business to begin with.  Though, that can be worked out with the manager.

"One of fourteen."

The group turned their attention to Luna as she suddenly spoke up for the first time. Pierce gave a soft "Hn" that might have been a note of approval before turning his attention back to his contract, which he finally signed with a flourish and set aside.

"Nice to meet you, Luna," Kenny said, smiling as he returned with a drink. "Eating soup, huh? I hope the eating didn't look like that." His gaze darted up at the painting, and he winced.

Jacke, one of the few others to also get a drink, loudly addressed the room at that point. "So, there's a fair few bigwigs here huh? Never thought I'd be sharing a drink with the CEO of Cybers."

Pierce made no comment as Jacke raised his glass as though toasting to him - before screwing up his face. That seemed to bring a touch of amusement to Pierce's lips as he polished off his own glass.

"Since he brings it up," Alecia says, turning to Pierce. "Why are you here?"

Pierce arches a brow. "Same reason as the rest of you, I expect. An envelope in my mailbox."

Alecia narrows her eyes. "That's not what I meant. Why did you decide to accept?"

"Why did you?" Pierce shoots back, folding his arms.

"Oh, uh," Alecia falters a moment, looking embarrassed. "My coworkers think I... need to get out more. That I work too much."

Pierce's mouth quirks up in the corner. Alecia blushes and waves her hand, as though brushing aside the question.

"Anyway, it's just-"

"I was looking into buying this place," Pierce interrupts - whether out of impatience or a desire to help Alecia save face, it's hard to say.

Alecia blinks. "You were?"

"Seemed like a decent investment at the time." Pierce shrugs his shoulders. "Then some mystery buyer swoops in and steals the place before I can make an offer."

"So you're scouting out the competition?" she asks.

"Something like that," Pierce murmurs, glancing at the painting. "Would have had better décor if I owned it, I can tell you that much."

Kenny clears his throat to redirect the conversation and waves to everyone to move into a circle.

"Well, not everyone has a glass," he says, looking around at the mostly empty hands. "But, we should still toast or something, right? To some fun, and..." He falters a moment and smiles weakly. "...to new friends."

Mostly everyone toasts - either spiritedly or at least politely. Pierce merely observes a few moments before turning to Alecia and eyeing her. "Why does it matter to you so much why I'm here anyway?"

Alecia glances at the floor a moment, then shakes her head. "It's nothing, just..." She looks up and studies him. "You really don't remember me, do you?"

Pierce raises an eyebrow, but he doesn't have time to respond. A strange, warbling noise accompanied by static echoes through the room, stopping everyone dead in their tracks. After a moment passes, a deep and distorted voice crackles through the speakers hidden discreetly in the corners of the room.

"Good evening, everyone, and thank you for your patience. Welcome to Escape Mansion."

Everyone stands riveted, listening to the announcement. Alecia wasn't sure why, but the voice made goose bumps break out on her skin. Probably intentional, to set the scene and all, but still.

"I'm glad each of you was able to make it tonight. We'll begin shortly. For any of you who are new to this, first we'll go into the format, and eventually the ground rules for tonight. You'll have nine hours to escape and achieve success."

Nine hours? That long? Alecia glanced at her watch and pursed her lips. That would be right around dawn. Good thing she didn't have work tomorrow.

"The reward for your hard-earned success, you ask? The once-in-a-lifetime experience, of course... and your life."

"Holy crap," Kenny murmurs, half-laughing and half-shuddering. "That's intense."

"Each room is locked from the inside by large metal doors. You already saw one on your way in here. Solve the puzzle in a room, and you should be able to unlock it and move into the next room. There are several rooms to solve before you can reach the final room and exit. The final room loops back to the reception area, where you can collect your things and, gratefully, GET OUT."

The PA crackles, and everyone shifts in place.

"There is also a second method to escape. Perhaps if you learn something, you'll figure it out. Now, don't be intimidated, honored guests. This will be a night to remember, and I'd like for you to enjoy your limited time here. I can proudly say that no one has every been let down by their time here at Escape Mansion."

Pierce narrows his eyes. "I'll be the judge of that," he murmurs.

"Each room is fitted with multiple hidden cameras. I'll be monitoring your progress and, of course, your safety. Now, I wish you luck. Keep strong, keep sharp, and I'm sure by the end of the night, I'll see what's inside each and every one of you."

A clicking sound comes from the side of the fireplace. Part of the bookcase swings open, and another metal door is revealed. The light on the pad switches from red to green.

"The door to the next room has been opened for you, where the fun really begins. Proceed, and I'll lastly explain a few simples rules before you're good to go."

The PA crackles once more.

"Without further adieu, welcome to Escape Mansion, everyone!"

"Well," Alecia turns to the others and offers a smile. "Good luck, everyone. Let's do our best."

"Yeah, let's do this!" Kenny says, trying and failing to keep a quiver out of his voice even as he smiles.

Everyone files through the door and into a dark hallway. At the end, they reach another door and step into the new room.

Spoiler:

The contrast could not be sharper. The room is dark and dingy, divided into two parts - possibly three, judging by the pane of glass on the other end of the adjoining room. The area in which they stood was very dark, making it hard to see much around them. The segment through the glass pane across from them, however, was bright and starkly lit. It resembled an abandoned surgical wing in a hospital wing, with sterile, metal surfaces and what looked like operating tables. That section of the room seemed to be separated from them by yet another door with a keypad.

"Whoa..." Kenny murmurs, taking a step forward to peer closer.

"Hmm," Pierce hums, stroking his goatee thoughtfully.

"This is..." Alecia whispers, eyes wide.

The voice returns of the PA with a crackle.

"Now that we're all here, let's go over the rules, shall we? Remember how I mentioned each room has its own puzzle to solve? Well, the rooms also have rules of conduct that are strictly enforced. There are two kinds of rooms. First, rooms like this are puzzle rooms. This will be the only puzzle room you will solve as a group. After that, you will split off into teams of two - AND ONLY TWO - to solve puzzle rooms. We'll go into that shortly. Patience is golden, and listening even more so. It could even save your life."

Pierce folds his arms and glares around the room, as though hoping to direct his scorn at the speaker. He didn't seem to be enjoying the presentation so far.

Between each set of puzzle rooms is a foyer, where you'll reconnect as a group before heading into the next set of puzzle rooms. Foyers are the ONLY place you'll congregate as a group. This rule will be strictly enforced.

"When do we start on the game, or do you intend to talk to us all night?" Pierce growls.

"Patience is golden, as I said. And now." The speaker crackles. "A volunteer from the group to help me with a demonstration, if you please."

The panel on the door to the adjacent room behind the glass turns from red to green.

"Come now, don't be shy. Who will be brave enough to step forward first?"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Choice A Group

You remain where you are. After reading the seemingly hidden note in the contract, you think it's best to let someone else do the volunteering.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Choice B Group

You look around at the others, most of whom you know well enough by now. No one seems to be volunteering yet. Maybe you should be the first one to volunteer. That'll make an impression, maybe get people to want to be on your team in the future. You:

Choice 1: Volunteer

Choice 2: Wait for someone else to volunteer

Choice 1: Volunteer

Jacke listens to the others as they explain their reasons for being here. He's a bit surprised at Pierce's declaration that he was considering buying up the place.

"Huh. Kinda a different direction to what you're normally associated with..." he says quietly.

Jacke joins in the toast that Kenny starts, giving an energetic cheer and taking a more measured sip from his drink than before. He still struggles to keep a straight face.

When the PA bursts to life, Jacke listens without comment, though he does think to himself that they could have at least invested in a clearer PA system, considering the quality of the furnishing. The secret door behind the bookcase prompts a whistle from him.

"That's sweet, a secret door!"

Putting down his half-finished drink, he follows the others through the door into what appeared to be a surgical room. The contrast between the previous room and this one takes him by surprise. He listens to the PA as the voice explain the rules.

"Huh, they're really working hard for the immersion factor."

Then, the voice asks for a volunteer. Jacke looks around the group, no-one else seems to want to volunteer. Well, that just seems boring!

"Not sure what I'm volunteering for, but hey, if no-one else wants to, sign me up!"

Spoiler:

Prisma*Illya wrote:

Master Post

Choice A Group

Spoiler:

Yù zǐ shuǐjīng

“Good, that’s excellent, Keep it up Morgan, Wow everyone with you thing.” Yù zǐ Joyfully laughed and clapped Morgan’s back couple of times as he complimented him, though not too harshly as to throw him off-balance.

The guy had a glint in his eyes and a micro smile crept to each ends of his mouth, lasting for a moment too short for anyone to notice. “I need to get this guy on my side, he seems useful.” The calculating man thought to himself.

Yù zǐ was about to question Morgan Some more after the younglings started chatting up then the hot beauty and cue-ball began arguing, but before he could continue, their host revealed his voice, though it was through a voice modular, something the artist could identify from being in the music business.

Once everything was said, done and revealed, Yù zǐ joined in the impressed whistling of the blonde guy who didn't finish his alcoholic drink.

“This seems to have gotten somewhat interesting.” He mused.

Remembering the fine print upon the mentioning of Volunteering, Yù zǐ stayed his ground next to Morgan and eyed the other people in the room. Not too soon and not too later, the same guy of earlier volunteered himself as the first sacrificial lamb. The Rockstar snickered at his luck but quickly recovered as he realized that he himself didn’t know what the guy was volunteering for as not much information was revealed by their host, this brought him back to his earlier reason of targeting the Robed individual.

“Hey, you mentioned something about escaping this room. I on the other hand have no idea what this whole thing is about, other than it is a thing the super elite or something have been partaking in. I was on my way to take the band's jet to visit one of those tropical islands for my vacation when my Manager informed me of receiving the invite card, so here I am. But I feel like you know something more than others here. Do share whatever insider knowledge you have about these things, only if you don’t mind doing so.” Yù zǐ nodded his head and looked at Morgan with eager eyes.

Choice 2 - Wait for someone else to volunteer

Remy followed the others into the first room. It made her feel slightly uneasy that after this room, they would solve all following puzzles in smaller teams.

She looked around the dark room, but could hardly make anything out. The light from the adjoining room took all the attention.

Just then, the voice asked for a volunteer. While Remy was still debating with herself the pros and cons of volunteering, the guy who had introduced himself as Jacke stepped up and into the next room.

While some were waiting with anticipation of what would happen next, Pierce was clearly bored and annoyed and the guy with the expensive looking jacket was more interested in his business with Morgan.

Remy rolled her eyes and sighed when she heard him talk about his jet and tropical islands. Even though she tried very hard not to, she was quite tempted to judge him to be a stereotypical character.