RECORDING 1: THE FIRST DAY

[foundationmods]

For those from the future, this is a momentous day. Finally, the barrier preventing everyone from watching what happened in the Winchester House 20 years ago is lifting on the recordings of those events...no doubt everyone who's currently at the Hayes Mansion is doing whatever they can to fit unto the screening room the Hotel has put aside for them, large enough for everyone to watch the oncoming horrific events in comfort.

...But, 20 years ago, all anyone knew was that they'd finally been authorized to move. After days of waiting - in order to get a few more agents on site - the group to finally enter the house had been chosen. There were, of course, agents left behind - outside the house to provide support if need be, and to give the agents going in supplies if things got bad in there...or to report back to the Foundation in case of deaths.

Stepping into the house is eerie, but the doors swing open - and there's no sign of the black fog that'd been plaguing the area for a few days. As the group carries in what they'll need for a potential stay, it almost seems...quiet. Peaceful.

That is, until everything has been safely dragged in and stored away...and everyone comes to meet in the Living room, just in front of the entryway..

Because, you see...the moment every single agent on the mission steps fully into the house, into the living room...

The entrance doors slam shut, and cannot be opened. More than that - from the windows, it's clear to see the outside has changed - from the slightly suburban area of San Jose to a dark forest surrounding the entire house.

And if they were worried about the Agents still outside, well...yelling and screaming can be heard from the outside, flashes of what has to be power usage and attacks against something that can't be seen, something surely horrifying and terrible, because...

...It doesn't take long before all the noise from the outside stops, and only silence reigns.

Silence...and if one looked through the windows...blood smears staining the trees and ground...

...But, they are still alive. The House is quiet, though there's a faint sense of whispering at the edges of your hearing, the brush of something against your body when you least expect it. And always, always...the feeling of having willingly walked into the jaws of some great predator, of overwhelming dread in the pit of one's stomach.

Welcome, Foundation Agents.

Welcome...to the Winchester Incident.



Main Navigation - Dossiers - Locations

Comments

[kaliedoscopes]

I: Living Room

[ After the initial commotion has passed there's a fair amount of avenues to pursue, but Hikage makes the time to pause in the middle of the living room, arms crossed and gaze directed upward. Ostensibly a second story doesn't exist from this angle, but he's looking up anyway. ]

This isn't the kind of nostalgia I wanted to experience.

II: Kitchen

[ Well, he's been through this song and dance before so after it's clear that they're not making headway on escaping he's checking out the kitchen. Inspecting it is more accurate as he's opening every single cabinet, looking in every nook and cranny, turning on the water to make sure it works and so on. The refrigerator and icebox are getting a particularly thorough look over, even if it they're disappointingly empty. ]

i

[accessorytomurder]

Nostalgia?

[What an... odd thing to say...]

Do you, uh, do you mean old American architecture or... captivity... or...?

[kaliedoscopes]

[ He nods, the displeasure on his face clear. ]

Both, actually. My selection for this mission didn't surprise me, given my experience prior to the Foundation. But I hadn't thought I would find myself imprisoned in another mansion so soon.

[accessorytomurder]

...o-oh.

[She's quiet for a moment.]

Do you think... whatever's doing this might be the same thing that trapped you before?

[kaliedoscopes]

[ Very much oh. Her comment makes him smile briefly, and he turns to face her. ]

There's a simple way we can test to see if that's the case. [ He reaches into his cloak and pulls out a cellphone.]

In Psychadelica we all received texts from the master of the house immediately upon arrival, detailing what was expected us. [ Poking at the touch screen, he shakes his head. ] No messages, and there isn't any service here either.

[accessorytomurder]

A 'master'...

[She touches her chin, thinking.]

Did you ever find them?

I

[golden_dream]

You too...?

What sort of nostalgia?

[kaliedoscopes]

[ He turns to face her immediately. ]

Of imprisonment in a mansion just like this one. Don't tell me you've gone through the same thing?

[golden_dream]

[A pause as she reflects on that.]

...Well, if we're speaking poetically, yes.

I was raised in one like this. --The danger level was a few notches removed, at least, but the same basic idea. Secret passages. Surrounded by forests. No easy way out. It's all giving me deja vu.

[kaliedoscopes]

That must have been difficult, especially spending years of your life there. [ A frown. ]

Was there a reason your family kept such an estate?

[golden_dream]

My Father was eccentric. It was his own personal tastes, nothing more.

...I wish there was more to it than that, but that's really how simple it was.

i.

[finalring]

[ well that's a weird thing to say. ]

Have you been through something like this before?

[kaliedoscopes]

Unfortunately. But so far there's less rain and monsters, though I wouldn't be surprised if that changed fairly soon.

[finalring]

I really hope that doesn't happen.

[ although his expression looks like he has already accepted the fact that it will most likely happen. and he doesn't like that. ]

Did you get out of there before arriving here?

[kaliedoscopes]

And I really hope that I never have to eat a shiitake mushroom again. [ No relation except that relying on hope is naive. ]

I didn't, we never discovered who the master of the mansion was either.

ii

[accrowed]

[ Turning on the water is a popular past time around the mansion (for obvious reasons), isn't it? Not that it stops him from watching again because apparently this is what they're doing now.

Ignoring the blood and bodies outside and turning on faucets. ] Find anything interesting?

[kaliedoscopes]

[ The most thrilling entertainment. ]

Would you call a lack of anything interesting?

[accrowed]

[ Absolutely rive(r)ting. ]

Usually no. But in a place like this, maybe that's actually a good thing. I'd rather someone find "nothing" than a leaky pipe or brown water.

[kaliedoscopes]

I suppose, but having no fresh food is irritating if not immediately dire.

[ He eats like a rabbit so these MRE's are even more aughhh for him. ]

[accrowed]

Man, you're a lot braver than I am if you'd risk eating food off of these shelves. These rations may not be tasty, but we at least know they aren't expired.

[ A beat. ] Though, that's probably because they can't expire.

ii: kitchen;

[sageking]

[ With so many few avenues to explore and ... linger in, it was no surprise he was to end up here eventually. ]

Hmph. There's hardly anything substantial to be found, is there?

[ Gilgamesh was already expecting nothing of value to be discovered in a place like the kitchen. ]

[kaliedoscopes]

Hardly is generous, there's nothing at all. We'll have to make do with our rations as they're meant to be used. [ Emphasis on the meant because he's seen people throw around MRE's as frisbees and the like before. ]

[sageking]

[ Well, Gilgamesh hadn't. That was something he wouldn't think would happen once they were in a very obvious and dangerous situation in which they currently lacked food!! ]

I expected as much. And though I anticipate most to act foolish in our situation, it shouldn't be too difficult for everyone to take care of their rations properly if they want to live.

[kaliedoscopes]

[ Deadpan. ]

You haven't interacted with a lot of idiots, have you?

[sageking]

[ The bar was so low. Very low, in fact.

And yet...and yet!! ]

I have. [ Beat. ] Is there a story behind your sudden question?

[ Who would he have to judge now? ]