Now, while it is important - nay, essential - to allow for the lives of the people here to continue, we must also push forward. Time is an illusion, lunchtime doubly so. The fact of the matter is that during the lives of every individual - be they from Evergreen or St. Paul's - must go on, but there shall be a certain focus on [i]some of them[/i]. We start with the setting sun upon the general area, especially with this, the office of the Vice-Principal of Evergreen Academy, [url=https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/3a07f690-e8f5-411c-a899-b7ab01392257.png]Henry Ashcroft.[/url] >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Worthless, spoiled children, all of them. He sat in his office, the evening sun peaking into the window as he looked over the reports on his desk, and eyeing the half-filled glass of scotch he'd poured for company. It was after-hours. He could do as he damn-well pleased. It was a gentleman's hour, anyway, a time for men of his time and era gathered 'round and had the odd drink and discussed important topics or past amusements. Ah, the good old days... Not like now, with everything digitized and growing way out of proportion with these self-important twats running things and these [i]children[/i] playing at adulthood... Well, [i]some[/i] of them did. Others seemed content to be a grave disappointment. Thus, the file... 'The Principal's responsibility was to the running of the school', they said. 'You're enough not with the times, old boy', they said. Well, who exactly was running things if it was apparently up to HIM to administer discipline on these out-of-control students? How could truly-dedicated types, like Alexander Furst, [i]possibly[/i] flourish when he and his ilk are bogged down with the Avas, the Joeys, the Merjas, and now this...this idiotic Japanese boy. He helped put down [i]his[/i] kind AND Germany in the war. What does that all amount to? Nothing. Nothing but these wild, uncontrolled kids. He'd have to have Alex in here to give him a lecture, set him straight. Then...he was going to get him separated from the [i]wrong[/i] sort of people. He didn't need people like Merja or Ava, either too passive or completely supportive of disruptive elements like this [i]hat boy[/i], Hakuro. The glass of scotch was already at a quarter length. He hated this, but he would whip these fraudulent human beings into shape... >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I showed you that, so I could show you [i]this[/i]... On the evening of the day that Alexander, Ava, and Hakuro met...well...it seemed the cards were just right. The fates collided as The Priestess, The Emperor, and The Fortune all neatly overturned at once on the table. It was time. The three students of Evergreen and St. Paul found themselves growing more and more tired that Tuesday evening and fell asleep at once, regardless of WHAT they were doing at the time. Hopefully, no harm was done. The three of them would find themselves on a platform of the London Underground. To be specific: Each one of them was there alone, absolutely no one else there where they stood. Identical platforms, identical surroundings, looking a bit dim and foggy around where they stood, indicating that leaving was probably not advised, as the further you looked from the spot, the more gray it seemed to get. But...that all changed, very quickly. There was the telltale sound of a subway train - looking of a sleek blue bullettrain, though in a classy and old-fashioned kind of design - on the approach. The train came to a halt and the doors slid open as a young voice called out over speaker. [color=fff200][b]"Velvet Station! [i]Mind[/i] the gap! Mind the [i]gap![/i]"[/b][/color] All three would enter from their platforms, and although the movement and the places were identical, they entered through different doors, which then shut behind them as the train started up again, moving along rails that...if you were of a mind to look...might surprise you as to the directions they seemed to take. Alex, Ava, and the hat boy would find themselves in the midst of... [center][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHxVo-WA9nA[/youtube][/center] [center][h1][color=0072bc][b]The Velvet Room[/b][/color][/h1][/center] [center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/a8f0ae55-f96f-41fd-92b0-48109a88332c.png[/img][/center] Have any of you ever read the book, [i]Neverwhere[/i], by chance? It describes an amusing encounter with an underground king in a subway. Granted, there was an entire world of the unnoticed and out-of-place in that book, but the important thing to note is that while the man who faced them was not a king, he seemed rather important. He sat in a very comfortable-looking chair, with a table before him that had three tarot cards hovering, face up. Numerous passenger seats of a decidedly plush nature led up to this place, which a... Boy? Girl? Both? Neither? [url=https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/969c53ff-d4e2-44e7-a9d9-62586352748d.png]A [i]person[/i][/url] bid them to [b][color=fff200]"Have a seat, please!"[/color][/b] in a rather exciteable, pleasant voice. No chance ofdetermining gender here, folks. Might well be [i]both[/i], or all. Anyway, the man with the nose from hell - well-dressed and ever-glaring - chose this moment, as everyone was seated comfortably, to speak in a voice that was surprisingly calm and collected. He said... [center][h3][b][color=004b80]"Welcome to the Velvet Room... I am Igor, your guide in this venture."[/color][/b][/h3][/center] He gestured to the youth standing nearby, who now had a clipboard in hand, which could have easily been a train schedule. [b][color=004b80]"This is Amari, my assistant."[/color][/b] [b][color=fff200]"Charmed, I'm sure."[/color][/b] The Attendant had spoken in an over-the-top cultured voice, just then. Igor's eyes shifted over to Amari for a second. [color=004b80][b]"In the normal fashion, Amari."[/b][/color] [b][color=fff200]"Pleased to meet you all, sirs and madam."[/color][/b] Once again, Big Nose focused on the three sitting before him. [b][color=004b80]"Thank you. Now...I wish to assure you all... You are perfectly safe here. You are our honored guests, the first of a great deal, should all go well. I imagine, however, you have questions. Please...speak your mind, and we shall do our best to answer."[/color][/b] Alexander Furst, Ava Munroe, and Hakuro Kuroda... The three of you have entered into a world unknown to you, but very soon you shall discover a world that is [i]literally[/i] pure imagination...and terrible nightmare. In this place, there is respite, however. The Velvet Room caters to all guests, and in this endeavour, the house reputation and indeed right to exist is on the line. Igor awaits your input, your questions and concerns. How do you react to this place, and the strangeness surrounding you?