"There's a lot of open space on the ground floor," Lou told the group, in case any of them happened to be unfamiliar with the layout of the Casino. The ground floor held the games, and the only properly closed-off areas were the apparition closets and the floo rooms. "So we should at least be able to see — if there's anything to see. If we have to go up, it would probably do well to have some sort of strategy for clearing areas." There were plenty of nooks and crannies in the upper floors, he thought. He'd never actually partaken in any of the other novelties at the Casino, so he wasn't entirely sure, but many of the things they'd offered didn't sound like they'd necessarily take up the entire floor, like the games on the ground did. He certainly didn't want to get into a situation where they had something like the Sphinx sneaking up behind them because they hadn't been paying attention.

  

"W'should stick together, there's safety in numbers," He piped in. Without his wand, all he had were his fists and broomstick. He didn't think punching baby Moses in the face would be very effective. It was better to stick to a group - there were more targets that way and his chances of survival - should they be attacked - would be better. On that note: "Anybody bring anythin' that can be used as a weapon? Just 'n case She gets ideas?"

  

Carmelina rummaged a hand in her bag, pitying the fact that the expansion charm upon it had wore off with the fog; she might've fit more of use in it. "I'm afraid I may only be of use if something needs digging up," she admitted, feeling the little hand-trowel and a few archaeological brushes that had settled at the bottom of it and abruptly wishing instead that she'd brought a hefty-sized pickaxe. Otherwise, she only had some pencils and parchment and an amulet brooch, though the ancient charm upon it hadn't been enough to protect her from the fog's effects in the first place, so its comforts now were merely sentimental.

"Stay together on the ground floor, and perhaps split into pairs if we have to investigate the other floors?" Carmelina suggested, weighing up both of the men's options. Or if they were forced to make a run for it, she didn't add, but was thinking. The casino was a looming building, and she wasn't sure she wanted to spend any time in it that was longer than necessary; but all the same, she did not want to find herself lost and alone in it.

---

The following 1 user Likes Carmelina Cramming's post:1 user Likes Carmelina Cramming's post
   Ophelia Devine

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Hamish had always thought Eugene Scamander a good lad, but the boy's decision to escort Miss Van Helsing further cemented that opinion. As the pair departed, the professor scooped up a still-trembling Oona, deciding the canine more than deserved a bit of a rest.

In time, what remained of the group arrived at the casino, which loomed ominously over the square in the fog like Death itself.

"Pairs, or small groups," he half-agreed with Miss Cramming. "I should hate to see us become too fragmented."

---

  

---

— set by the long-lost bex —

Eugene hauled ass to the infirmary carrying Miss Van Helsing  as best he could without dropping her. It only almost happened once...

As soon as he placed her and Miss Hill in the care of the nurses, he turned tail and ran from the infirmary so they couldn't keep him or ask any questions. Fortunately he doing the group exactly where they were supposed to be.

"What did I miss?"

---

The following 1 user Likes Eugene Scamander's post:1 user Likes Eugene Scamander's post
   Aldous Crouch

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The unnerving quiet of the casino kept Connie's nerves firmly on the edge they had been threatening to tilt over since the sphinx had first appeared. Whatever was in here, given the space was just as open as Mr Jameshill had said it was, would likely see them before they saw it even with the lights illuminating the whole place, unnaturally bright after so long with nothing to see but fog. She took a step closer to the lone other woman still in their group and kept her eyes peeled.

Suffice to say, she jumped quite spectacularly when Mr Scamander came back to them and realised belatedly that even if he had been an enemy she had nothing on her that would be much use.

"Definitely stay together," she echoed decisively, casually taking hold of a broom that had been abandoned against a nearby table. "Does anybody else feel like we're being watched?"

  

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MJ made me beautiful

Constance Sykes Lupus Jameshill Declan Wood Carmelina Cramming Eugene Scamander Hamish Darrow

The casino does not meet expectations.

Once Group B steps inside and the front doors swing shut behind them, they will find themselves in a limestone concrete structure with etchings on the wall around them.

Time passes strangely in here.

There are three directional options: left, right, straight. The leftward path goes upwards, the rightward path goes downwards, and straight continues at level.

---

The next 'prompt' post will be after either 48 hours have passed from the time of posting (8:20 PM EST on July 21st*) or after every member of the party has posted one time if this occurs before that deadline. Please remember that you must post within 72 hours to continue participating. :)
*blah blah still in Canada blah
[/quote]

The following 1 user Likes The Suggestionizer's post:1 user Likes The Suggestionizer's post
   Ophelia Devine

---

Are your characters stuck in the smalltalk loop?
Does your imagination feel like it just can't perform as it used to?
Mid-thread crisis getting you down?
Unable to get that post up?
Is your relationship suffering because of your inability to satisfy your partner?
SUFFER NO MORE!
With a little intervention from The Suggestionizer your RP life could be back on track in no time!

--> Click here for more details <--

Known side-effects include: chronic ridiculousness, immense satisfaction, itching, uncontrollable laughter, burning, deep regret, despair, shock, horror, incidental dismemberment, joy, and death. Use at your own risk!

The only thing Lou could be sure of, upon entrance, was that this was not the Casino. The hairs on the back of his neck raised as he looked around the unfamiliar interior. Splitting up no longer sounded like the ideal, given that this was entirely uncharted territory — perhaps a pair of their group could have reasonably handled an empty Casino floor, but he had no idea where they were now, nor what to make of it. There were six of them, which was enough to split up and take all three paths as groups, but would that really be wise?

He had an inexplicable aversion to the path that went down, and eyed it warily. There wasn't supposed to be a down, in the Casino, which meant that path took them into entirely uncharted territory. Not that they weren't already more or less in uncharted territory, but at least with the other two it was possible that this was an illusory tunnel placed inside the Casino, not some sort of strange magic that had transported them entirely.

Subtly, Lou reached into his pocket to run his fingers over the end of his wand, wondering whether magic would work here — wherever here was. "Does anyone recognize any of these runes?" he asked, indicating the markings on the wall. "They might give us some idea of what we're in for, down each path."

  

"I believe Miss Cramming would be the best to ask on that score," Hamish answered, smiling at the new professor encouragingly. The waver of his lips, however, belied his nerves: this felt far too much like a tomb for the old man's liking.

---

  

---

— set by the long-lost bex —

Though she had been in awe of many ancient things in her life, Carmelina had never dreamed of encountering such a place as this through the doors of the Irvingly Casino, fog or not. It had an uncanny familiarity about it, all the same, and the cloying dust in the fog must have been a sign after all, the strangely transported smell of mouldering limestone and the sands of Egypt.

"Yes -" Carmelina said, with a start, feigning a degree of calmness as the rest of the group was but feeling another surge of mingled terror and exhilaration as she brushed past Miss Sykes to have a better view of the runes, running a hand carefully over the shapes, hardly sure of where to direct her attention first. "Yes, they're protective symbols for the most part, incantations against thievery and plunder. The sort one finds in tombs."

The very thought of being in a tomb drew her eye to the rightmost path, the one that led down as though it would bury them in the earth or lead them to the underworld; nevertheless, burial chambers in pyramids were often hidden upwards, at the heart of the building, so - any of the paths were worth investigating. "One thing is clear, no matter which way we choose," she added, peering back at the rest of the group. "Nothing is - or, was - meant to be disturbed." (Undoubtedly, it was a warning that had gone ignored.)

---

  

---

While it was a relief that these markings were familiar to someone, they weren't quite as helpful as Lou had hoped they might be. Of course, he wasn't sure exactly what he was expecting — road signs? In any case, it didn't seem that any of the markings would help them decide which was the best way to go, which meant they were back at square one.

He still had a distrust of the path that lead down, so he surveyed the two remaining paths for a brief moment before he spoke again. "I vote left," he suggested. "If we're consistently picking the same direction, we'll be sure of being able to find our way back."

Assuming there was any point in getting back; the doors that had closed behind them seemed rather firmly shut. Whether they would be able to get them open again or not, however, he would certainly like to have the option of trying rather than just wandering lost in wherever this was.

  

Eugene still felt decidedly useless, though was thankful that some of his group members knew what they were doing.

"I think we should go straight or up." That was his vote anyway.

---

  

---

Deeply unsettled Connie had hoped that Miss Cramming's expertise might enlighten them of the situation a little more but instead she felt a creep of dread in the pit of her stomach. A tomb. They were standing in a tomb, or at least a remarkable facsimile of one and she didn't especially fancy the idea of any of the paths, but they clearly had no choice.

She cast a suspicious glance towards the rightward path.

"Whatever did this probably gave us a choice for a reason. Logically wouldn't she or whatever it is hide themselves in the one we were least likely to choose? The most off-putting path?"

  

---

MJ made me beautiful

Lou would have been reasonably happy with either straight or up, if it came down to it (though there was less strategic value, in a 'not getting hopelessly lost' way, for choosing the center path), but he was rather less thrilled at the blond woman's suggestion. "You're assuming that she doesn't want to be found," he pointed out. "The Casino doors were standing wide open when we arrived."

  

"Regardless of what route we choose," Hamish spoke up, "I feel we must tread carefully. I think it is safe to say that we have reached the point at which we are no longer qualified—but I fear the Ministry is unlikely to step in."

---

  

---

— set by the long-lost bex —

Constance Sykes Lupus Jameshill Declan Wood Carmelina Cramming Eugene Scamander Hamish Darrow

An ominous rumbling sound at the path that goes up will perhaps rule out that one, especially as the sound is getting louder as time passes...

---

The next 'prompt' post will be after either 48 hours have passed from the time of posting (9:30 AM EST on July 25th) or after every member of the party has posted one time if this occurs before that deadline. Please remember that you must post within 72 hours to continue participating. :)
If you did not post in the previous round, you have until 8:20 PM tonight #Beanislate.

  

---

Are your characters stuck in the smalltalk loop?
Does your imagination feel like it just can't perform as it used to?
Mid-thread crisis getting you down?
Unable to get that post up?
Is your relationship suffering because of your inability to satisfy your partner?
SUFFER NO MORE!
With a little intervention from The Suggestionizer your RP life could be back on track in no time!

--> Click here for more details <--

Known side-effects include: chronic ridiculousness, immense satisfaction, itching, uncontrollable laughter, burning, deep regret, despair, shock, horror, incidental dismemberment, joy, and death. Use at your own risk!