R3 TDM - is a man not entitled to the tags of his toplevel?

[bathymetric]

Hello and welcome to the...



UNKNOWN SEAS R3
TEST DRIVE MEME

Welcome... to Rapture! Well, New Rapture. It's a lot like the old Rapture - art deco as hell, lots of glass looking out at the ocean floor, creeping sense of derelict dread - but at least it isn't a research facility! In particular, you're starting off in a pretty retail-heavy area of the abandoned underwater city. And good news: you can basically grab whatever you want, because there's no other living souls in this city!

Not that this is an exact reflection of areas in the game, but there's a clothing store, a pool, a library, a... bank? Whatever you want, basically.

1. Atlas shrugged as he woke up from a real big nap

You wake up in a beautiful four-poster bed, in a room that... well, has seen better days. It's been cleaned recently, sure, but the paintings have tears in them and the carpet is worn down. The lights work, though!

... As do the lights out the porthole. You're uh. Super underwater. Surprise?

2. Participate in capitalism! Bioshock, baby!

For an abandoned city, there's a surprising amount of stuff to do here! Head to Fontaine Fashions for clothes, Fontaine Fountains Waterpark, the Fontaine Mayoral Library, or the Dining Hall (Sponsored by Fontaine Futuristics!)! In case any of you forgot who brought you here.

3. Kill, would you kindly?

Another Tuesday, another sealed envelope full of fun! Is this finally something worth killing for to get back to the surface? Or is it just something stupid and/or embarrassing? Better ask around!

4. Welcome to the circus of [REDACTED]!!!

Down one of the alleys, next to some regular beverage and food vending machines, is... an unmarked one? It only takes these weird coins that sometimes show up in your rooms at night. Sometimes it gives you things from back home! Sometimes it gives you? Little creepy wooden puppets??

5. Look, Mister Bubbles! An angel!

Oh no! Someone is dead! Did you kill them? Are you trying to get the word out? Did you find the body and really need to calm down? Live your dreams, kill who you wanna kill offscreen!

6. Anything else!

There's all kinds of things to do in this town! Don't feel constrained by the options here - live your Rapture dreams!

Comments

Mio Hirahara | Blue Reflection Ray

[sisterlyduties]

1. By myself, I always Marberica

[Mio's head ached as she woke up on the somewhat tattered bed. Her eyes glance around the room and she couldn't help but think how someone should really fix up the place. It's a small, nagging thought, but she pushed it away. No. She had more important things to think about as--

Is that a porthole? Is that water? Mio quickly gets out of the bed ignoring how her head reacts to the sudden change of position. Her eyes scan the bedroom (this isn't Shino's room) as she could feel her heart rate begin to raise.]

What--that can't be right...

[It's only when she touches the surface of the glass, feeling the coolness under her touch that she quietly swallows. The red of the gem in her ring glints in the light. That's right. She has to keep calm even if no one is watching.

Turns her attention to the door, poking her head out to see if anyone else is about.]

Hello? [A tilt of her head.] Is anyone out there?

2. Taking a swing in general, a boring miracle

[Mio's in the library a lot of the time. She needs to know more about their Mayor, their situation... and how to get out of it without death. Her path was already stained. There was no need to drag more strangers down with her; even if most of them seem older than her. Even adults didn't deserve this.

It seems like there wasn't much information here, though. She placed a book back on it's spot.]

Our Mayor really doesn't like libraries. Do you think there's a bookshop around?

2-B. Chances to save people and do mischief,

[Mm, something smells good!

Mio's been keeping an eye on her fellow captives; noticing who eats what and when. She's the first one in the dining hall and the last to leave. However, today, she's not there. She's in the back of the hall, near the kitchen. An apron is about her waist and a list is stuck to the wall as she hums softly to herself.

While she's been calm throughout this ordeal it's only now that she seems to be letting herself relax. This kitchen is better than the small work station at Saint Ines, after all. She could make a proper meal here. If only Hiori were here.

The small smile on her lips betrays her thoughts as she turns.]

Hm? Is there something you wanted in particular? I've gotten a few things in the oven, already, so...

3. Anything will be granted, Magisperica

['Kill someone or we'll kill this person on the surface.'

Mio knew who she'd see once she opened her envelope. There's silence from Mio as she closes her envelope. There's only a small shake of her hands as she puts it into a pocket. Of course they'd pick her.

Instead of focusing on the others she turns around and leaves quietly.]

5-A. Avoiding even plainness, Soliterica

[She picks the water park since she thinks that no one would be stupid enough to take up the offer in plain sight. It's along the edge of a pool that she sees the body, floating like an iceberg. His large size makes it obvious that Nekomaru Nidai the Manager is dead.

She cuts off a scream as she turns around and runs. She has to find someone, anyone--]

Nidai--it's Nidai, someone got him!

5-B Why do I need to hide it?

[It's late Thursday. Someone is moving around New Rapture. Ah, it's just Mio. She smiles faintly as she walks through the city. She's not heading towards the dining hall or library this time. Is that--is that a knife?

That's right. Mio has a knife. She's just prepared, you see, but she's definitely looking for someone to prevent that motive.]

Wildcard

[You know what this is for! Let me know if you want anything else.]

2-B

[pacternal]

[Well, here's someone who doesn't seem to eat much at all and even more rarely appears to enjoy it. Kratos blinks at her question and pulls back a hair's breadth.]

Ah, no. Thank you. I was only wondering what you were doing back here.

[Even if he has no particular interest in food, the change in her pattern warrants his attention, apparently.]

gaius van baelsar || final fantasy 14

[howveryglib]

2.

[Gaius has not removed his armor around others since arriving in New Rapture, partially out of habit and partially out of why would you take it off with those rules. Are you kidding him. All of the special features have been disabled, but the materials are still going to do a way better job of standing up to a knife to the back than civilian wear.

So it is absolutely impossible to tell what expression he is wearing as he looks at the... the fucking water park. Perhaps there is a vague aura of exasperated bafflement from his body language.]

Would they not tire of water at this point...

4.

[Apparently not, as Gaius picks up the wet cloth sack that emerged from the vending machine along with a gush of seawater. He opens it up, looks inside, and then stares off into the middle distance. He's going to take his... prize... with him, but he's very definitely going to mutter to himself as he goes...]

For what could anyone possibly need that many tomestones of poetics?

2

[yourattention]

[Dryer than the Sagolii Desert:]

Late stage capitalism means you can put a Starbucks in a Starbucks and someone's happy about it. You've heard the man talk.

[He clears his throat and then, in an almost pitch-perfect imitation of Andrew Ryan:]

Are we not entitled to have a waterpark in this underwater city? I built a city where capitalism could not be constrained by the likes of "sense."

Shannon | Umineko: When They Cry | OTA

[a_fuchair_for_love]

a. walk walk fashion baby
[Shannon was, first and foremost, a maidservant. It was a great honor to be the Ushiromiya family's staff, even greater to be selected from among the many aspiring candidates from Gospel House, and the greatest to bear the One-Winged Eagle and serve the Head himself.

(In retrospect, it had been embarrassing to get the emblem tattooed on the inside of her thigh rather than sewn into her clothes, but in her defense... well, she hadn't known how long the process would take! And how painful it would be!)

But with how raggled her uniform got after several trips into puddles of dirty water of dubious origin in a row, Shannon's stubborn pride in it evaporated, and she resigned herself to finding something else to wear. She probably could've endured it for some time instead of letting the family name down like this, but the sheer stress of being thrust into all of this made her crumble.

Sighing, she had trudged into the clothing shop, looking for something nice and comfortable to wear that could at least distract her from this insane nightmare-

And in a fugue state found herself wearing a yellow floral dress in front of a mirror.]

Oh.

[She does a little twirl, smiling.]

Oh!

[...then notices somebody else in the store.]

A- Ah! I'm sorry, I thought I- I was alone here... [Shannon says with all the guilt and panic of being caught murdering someone red-handed.]

b. you can take the maid out of the mansion, but
[Talk about the mysterious vending machine spread throughout the group like wildfire. While Shannon had been spooked after a certain incident involving a sword that nobody should've picked up much less a teenage girl with impulse control issues, curiosity eventually won out (which was Shannon's biggest problem, really).

Shannon snuck up on the vending machine, approaching it as if it was a feral, half-starved lion rather than an inanimate object, before carefully, perhaps overcautiously, inserting those mysterious coins she had found into the appropriate receptacle. She rocks back and forth on her heels as she waits for the item to appear. Part of her is anxious about a knife or worse popping out, considering how many times her clumsiness has already gotten her in trouble here, but instead, she gets a small, battered hand broom.

Picking it up, Shannon looks at it quizzically for a moment, struggling to place the insistent tug the broom has on her memory. Then she gives a soft smile as she remembers.]

Really, this old thing...? I thought it'd gotten thrown in the trash years ago.

c. fishy aroma
[The motive has been delivered, leaving the gathering place in dead silence as everyone reels.

It was just too much. Too much. Kidnapped, separated from George-san, trapped in a bizarre underwater city with all these strangers, and now this? Nobody would actually commit murder, of course, but the sheer pressure from the motive hanging over their heads... Shannon wilts, looking like a beautiful rose caught in the harsh rains of a typhoon.]

...Fontaine-san has clearly misjudged us. [She raises her head high, taking a deep breath.] Nobody would kill for money, especially in circumstances like- like this.

[The proclamation is as fragile as Shannon's expression.]

c. fishy aroma

[vholran]

Misjudged?

[ This man seems to question her statement with relative ease. ]

Many have killed for less.

HE'S JUST A DANDY GUY IN SPACE... // SPACE DANDY

[bootyhunter]

[tbd, a variety of multiple prompts will be listed below in separate threads! couldn't pick an icon]

SOMETIMES, THE UNIVERSE IS JUST FULL OF DISAPPOINTMENTS, BABY... (2) // (cw nsfw I AM SORRY)

[bootyhunter]

[If one were to peruse the halls of this sunken travesty, they would happen upon a goofy-looking numbskull wallowing in self pity. He's seated in what looks to be an abandoned tavern, rife with damaged furniture, although he's chosen to situate himself in a corner that's somewhat less dilapidated. The usually chipper fellow has a misty, forlorn look in his eyes, and is currently resting an elbow atop the edge of a table with a wobbly leg. In fact, he looks so distraught, his pompadour even happens to be drooping.]

Iiiiis this supposed to be the Mermaid Lounge?

[Dandy lets out prolonged sigh. You'd think he'd just had his heart broken in a thousand different ways.]

Then where are all the pretty girls? Y'know, the ones in all the itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny, seashell polka-dot bikinis?

A real man doesn't care how fishy a girl is on the outside.

[And here, where he could say something thoughtful about how it's the inside that counts, he instead chooses to utter-]

An ass is an ass, baby. Whether it's big n' round, or...

[Is he squinting? He's squinting. Dear god, could he be imagining-]

Wet n' scaly.

[why is he shaking hiS HEAD SMH!!!!!!]

Calypso Dynamite | OC

[calrippedso]

»Atlas ¯\_(ツ)_/¯«
...Huh.

[Well, this definitely isn't her- anywhere. Cal can be found poking around generally kind of everywhere, probably marveling a little at the underwater vistas outside the windows. And ceilings. And around the streets in the available area.]

Oh, hey! So- we're coworkers now, I guess, right?

[You might also try to find her, uh, fiddling with one of the portholes. Maybe ask her to not do that.]

»CAPITALISM«
[There's probably a Fontaine Fitness Center somewhere around here, right? Gotta keep in good shape for all the stabbing we're expected to do, after all. Obviously Cal's here if it exists, staying in shape, pumping iron, going at any punching bags available.]

[Fiddling with the AC control panel.]

How do you think they adjust the gravity in here, I haven't seen a system like this before.

»Killing With(Out) Kindness«
"Enact rule seven by the end of the week or we'll kill the mall...?"

[Cal squints down at the possibly poorly-kerned motive threat, printed over a photo of- looks like the white utility van of spaceships, honestly.]

...you MONSTER, the mall has nothing to do with any of this! And it's not even in the photo, you're really bad at this.

»Greatest Show Unearthed«
AUGH-

[Cal is standing in front of the unmarked machine, sopping wet and literally salty.]

[It's seawater, she's covered in seawater.]

What the heck, it's done that twice in a row now. Why is that even an option here?

[She glares at the machine for a second.]

[And then sticks in another regain coin.]

»Wildcard«
[Hit me.]

CAPITALISM

[thorncreek]

[Peaches isn't used to such work out equipment. Why go to the trouble when farm work would give you all the muscles you needed? Still, what Cal is fiddling with makes him interested. The minotaur moves slowly over, jabbing a finger at the controls.]

Dunno! We really didn't have these things at the farm--you think it's a magic thing?

Rhys "Rhee" Casca | Etrian Odyssey OC

[guildedlily]

A. WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MAPS OUT A MURDERGAME UNDER THE SEA? (Arrival)

[Not fifteen minutes after coming to in his swank but poorly-maintained underwater quarters, Rhee Casca is out and about, a young man in a white coat trying to make sense of his surroundings. He trails one hand along the glass as he walks down one of the underwater tunnels, muttering to himself.]

...Sixty paces, plus two hundred and fifty from the door to the tunnel entrance...

[He pauses at the end of the tunnel, frowning, then breathes on the cold glass so he can start to draw in the fog. It looks like a map, and he's so focused on it, he won't notice anyone's approach unless they call out.]

B. Nice to (Be in a Weekly Murdergame) Meet(ing with) You (Dining Hall)

[So they've had whatever orientation they're going to get, the vague threats and rudimentary explanation of the rules from Fontaine and co., but the kidnapped--what are they, employees, resources?--hardly know one another at all. After the mastermind's opening Q&A, Rhee drums his fingers for a while, then blows out gustily and pushes himself back from the table.]

Ooookay. I can't say I followed all of that, but I wouldn't trust it, or anything else that man says, as far as I can throw it. [He stands, sliding his hands into the pockets of his coat, and smiles at anyone else still absorbing things.] I need a walk to clear my head, but what say you all to meeting up later, maybe over lunch? We can get to know one another and see if, with all our heads put together, we can think up some other way out of this. After all...

[His smile turns wry as he shrugs.]

...Each of us supposedly has something special to offer. Why not see if we can do it on our own terms?

[So indeed, later over lunch, Rhee plops himself into a seat with his meal tray in front of him and rolls up his sleeves.]

So! I'm Rhee Casca. I'm a medic and Radha-certified explorer of the Yggdrasil Labyrinth below Etria. How about you?

[As if those words should make any sense to anybody.]

C. Go Crazy AAH AHH AHH AHH AHH (Wildcard)

[Need him to touch a body? Need him to BE a body? HIT ME.]

A

[someguysdad]

You drawing a map there, kid?

[ Please know that he mutters: "nerd," before continuing, like he totally didn't say that. ]

You must be pretty good at that. [ Counting? ] I'd lose count after 50.

Kratos Aurion | Tales of Symphonia

[pacternal]

A. Guardian Angel on Patrol (Post-Motive)

[Even after a week sealed into this figurative pressure cooker, Kratos has revealed little that wasn't already mentioned on his profile, and has largely kept to himself. You know, the whole JRPG loner deal, leaning against walls at the fringes of events and responding with "..." to most dialogue and events.

Today, however, they have each been handed an envelope containing a reason to kill. A more compelling reason than simple escape, at least. Kratos feels his as a weight in the folds of his clothes, heavier than folded paper has any right to be.

But the weight must be metaphorical, because his steps as he walks these strange, underwater streets are as steady and unflagging as ever. It's well after nightfall, but Kratos shows no sign of tiring, like some wooden soldier on the front of a wind-up clock.]

B. TFW You Realize a Certain Day Might Fall During This Murdergame (Vending Machine)

[The fact that Kratos doesn't react much to anything that comes out of the vending machine likely won't surprise anyone who's gotten to know him. Even the seawater and the... distinguished dress get little more than a -__- face out of him. Sometimes he has questions, and once he even looked distantly sad as he pocketed a locket without opening it.

So when an overly long, thin white scarf pops out of the slot, there's no precedent for how wide his eyes pop open. Kratos straightens, holding the scarf tightly in both fists.]

...What is this doing here.

C. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (Wildcard)

[Throw darts at your ideas and send 'em my way!]

TFW

[calrippedso]

Oh. These machines usually have stuff in them, yeah.

[Helping!]

Never used 'em before?

nandor the relentless | what we do in the shadows

[fuckingguy]

BREAKING DAWN (1)

[ Worn-down carpets and derelict furnishings? Decoration that's plainly decades of step with what anyone would expect to see, if not centuries? That's all extremely normal and chill, babey!! Even the porthole doesn't immediately catch Nandor's eye, which is admittedly 50% because he's deeply oblivious. But the other half is because there's something else off about this situation, something that strikes him as terribly wrong the second he begins to stir from his slumber. What the fuck is he doing sleeping in a bed?

One quick, frantic check under that bed later, a man in an elaborate and antique-looking outfit stalks out the door of his suite. He looks a lot of things — stormy, out of place, very much done with this situation — but not in the slightest bit confused. There's absolute confidence that he's going to get a prompt answer when he yells, apparently at nobody: ]

Guillermo! Did you let the cleaning people take my ancestral soil again?!

IF YOU'RE COLD, THEY'RE COLD (2)

[ And, almost immediately, he establishes himself as one of the group's Big Ol' Weirdos. It's rare to encounter Nandor outside during the (nominal) daytime for the first two weeks or so. He shows up to meetings, sure, but he looks tired and out-of-sorts and transparently pushes the idea of doing them later, every single time. Once night falls, however, he's wandering all over the damn place! There's a lot of puttering about, a lot of interested examination of eye-catching objects, and a lot of seeming window-shopping — if you happen to be inside Fontaine Fashions, for example, you might catch him staring at the displays like a starved orphan watching someone else serve Christmas dinner. Once he catches sight of someone inside, he lights up and makes for the door, politely and unnecessarily rapping on it with some heavily-beringed knuckles. ]

Knock knock knock. [ nandor you don't have to say it, just do it— ] May I come in?

[ This is his eternal question, apparently, since he does the same with every other facility Rapture has to offer. After he gets access to more places, there's also a lot of taking shit back to his suite "subtly", like if the cape is in the way you won't notice him struggling to hold conservatively 900 candles. His elaborate ensemble also lasts for about two weeks, but it's visibly worse for wear with each passing day, like he dressed himself in the dark. Sometimes he simply wears jean cutoffs and a t-shirt but also puts the cape on top, because surely no one will ever know! ]

LET THE RAT ONE IN (5)

[ The thing about being up all night and sleeping most of the day (which is extremely normal and human behavior) is that, when it's almost five in the morning, you're usually heading back to your bedroom instead of just venturing out from it. For the sake of engagement, let's just say there's some kind of common lounge area outside the suites, and let's also say that they're not soundproofed, and everyone now has to deal with a bunch of noises in quick succession: a heavy thud, a hiss, and a loud curse. The voice belongs to that guy who's obviously a vampire and refuses to call himself a vampire. The source of the thud, however, is obscured by the extremely wide figure Nandor cuts in his usual finery. He's muttering darkly to himself. ]

—got blood on my fucking cape! [ It is very clear that this is the primary issue from his perspective. ] This guy, always a drama. [ He pauses. ] Get up, Simon. Wakey wakey...

[ okay, no, that's definitely a dead body ]

... Shit. Everyone! Group meeting!

[ Simon Laurent, the Right-Hand Manchild, is dead. He lies curled up on the common room floor as if cradling his stomach, his face frozen in a rictus of pain and confusion. The only slightly-congealed blood which has made a mess of his hooded sweatshirt (and also, yeah, the hem of Nandor's cape) doesn't appear to be entirely his own. Nandor steps to the side as people come out of their rooms, doing the angry version of Will Smith hands at the corpse, though his tone of voice has more in common with a hectoring housemate than anything, like, even remotely mournful or serious. ]

Next time, when you kill somebody, if you could please move the body so that we can all see it and nobody trips. Someone could really get hurt!

2

[sixthnonsense]

Huh? Oh, ye—

[It has been several weeks of this and it was probably even plainly stated at one point, yet it’s only now that something seems to click with Hagakure as Nandor asks to be invited into this very much public space.

His eyes go wide and he drops his goods all over the floor in equal parts shock and horror.]

—eeeaaaAHHHH oh my gods you’re actually a freakin’ vampire!!

brett | in strange woods

[inaclearing]

2: library

[Brett has largely kept to himself since arrival. He's not an unfriendly or even standoffish person - he simply seems entirely ordinary, among a crop of folks that are decidedly Not. He's not sure how to feel about that. Especially not with the stakes that are (apparently?) in play.

The library quickly becomes a regular haunt. Any place you go, the shape of a library is roughly the same. It's comforting. The Fontaine branding is not, but that's inescapable. Browsing the shelves, he flashes a bit of an uncertain smile when he sees that he isn't alone.]

It's a decent library, all things considered. Not entirely biographies of this Fontaine guy.

3: motive

[In a situation like this, the sensible thing to do is probably not to open the envelope. It's like how they say you shouldn't give in to blackmailers, or feed Internet trolls. You shouldn't let someone claim that kind of power over you; you should just let it go.

Brett is not a man especially talented in "letting things go".

Opening the envelope, his face goes pale.]

They can't - they can't do that. [He looks to the nearest person as if for backup, though something in his eyes seems to say that he doesn't honestly expect any. He simply can't help but search.] If they were going to - take other people. They would have already. There's nothing stopping them.

4: puppets

[Using the somewhat creepy mysterious vending machine has grown to be an ordinary thing. Considering everything else going on, it's really not that bad - it's almost a break in the monotony. Sometimes, it spits out terrifying puppets.

Sometimes, it just spits out a Metric Fuckton of Snow!

Brett backpedals, not entirely escaping having his shoes and the bottoms of his pants soaked entirely through. He's not really dressed for snow.]

...huh.

3

[yourattention]

That's where you're drawing the line? "They can't kidnap other people"?

[He hasn't even opened his envelope, mostly because he doesn't even know who the fuck they would have taken to actually make him care about this. It's either going to be really funny they thought it would matter or he's going to go insane about it and he does not want to know.]

We're in an abandoned underwater city and none of us remember what happened on Saturday.

The Undertaker | Black Butler

[giddyundertaker]

3. Pay the toll, Fontaine.
[ Of course, this Fontaine bloke didn't gather everyone here for tea parties. The time has come for "motives" to be sent out to everyone, and it seems this time they're threatening loved ones. The Undertaker seemed uncharacteristically quiet as he held the letter to his face, mumbling bitterly as he read it in full... Ah, they even included personalized photographs of the "hostages".

The Undertaker finds the picture of his own "hostage"... And laughs. ]

GYAAAA HAH HAH HAH!!! SOME THREAT THIS IS! TO THINK I'D ACTUALLY KILL FOR THIS BLOKE-- AH HAHAHAHA~!!!

[ ... To be fair, the man in the picture looks like someone who would not be found where the Undertaker is from. ]

5. What did you expect would happen? (CW: EMBALMING?!)
[ When people drop like flies every week, it's always handy to have an undertaker on standby. He never has to be asked, no one has to make him laugh to force him, he just goes about doing his autopsy as soon as possible.

It would have been nice if he ended his busman's holiday there, but no. He just had to bring the body to the trial room and lay it on the nearest flat surface next to some supplies he swiped from the hospital. ]

... What? I didn't have the heart to just leave her to rot!

WILDCARD!
[ Congrats, you have one creepy undertaker here. Let me know if you wanna do other things with him. ]

5

[sugarcandyasshole]

I mean I don't mind but—

[He tips his head toward the smallest, babiest sister in the cast. Let's be real, it's probably Cal going by the characters posted to this TDM so far.]

—could you at least cover it so we're not all looking at it during the trial?

Forrest | Fire Emblem: Fates

[visiblepattern]

1. welcome to hell! welcome to hell!

[Well, all of this is very... It's very something, anyway. Forrest is used to the extremely basic concept of other worlds, but that has done nothing to prepare him for this - he's currently standing in the middle of a busy corridor, having just left his room and now he's just kind of turning slowly as he stands in place, looking up at the lights and the signs and the shimmering water above.

He's quiet as he feels himself folding in on himself, hands clasped close to his chest as his gaze lowers from the ocean above to the ground, and he finds himself sitting down on the nearest bench looking for all the world like he is in some kind of deep distress. If he notices anyone looking, though, he's quick to straighten up where he's sitting at least, though he doesn't seem prepared to stand just yet.]

Oh! Sorry, I just wasn't prepared for all of this out here; I've... I've never seen anything like this before.

[While he sounds very much like a teenage boy, his words are soft and delicate, befitting of his appearance - he's keeping his hands clutched close, and seems to be trying to be as unassuming as possible.]

I'd be interested in looking around, though I'm afraid I don't know where to start - would you mind accompanying me?


2. step into the room like it's a catwalk

[Of course, if you're spending any time in the clothing shop, Forrest can be found in there, looking through men's and women's fashions alike; he seems wrapped up in his own little world as he leafs through things, his hands easy and deft against the fabric, but then he finds himself approaching...well, you.

He's holding some article of clothing or another in his arms - while one would probably assume that it's going to be something light and floral given the general state of Forrest's everything, it seems he's experimenting with the art deco fashion today? Either way, he'll hold it out in your general direction, the motion perhaps surprisingly brazen.]

I'm sorry if I'm bothering you, but I couldn't help but notice you in here, and I think this would suit you really well - we might need to tailor it a little, but a bit of tailoring goes a long way toward helping anyone, I think...

[He seems really engaged in this, just indulge him for a moment. Or don't! He can take it, I promise.]


4. sometimes we bring the seawater to you

[Forrest has learned, in his time here, to wear the clothes he likes least when he goes to deal with the vending machine; it seems that today isn't going to do anything to change his mind, given that you can likely hear him before you see him today.]

Ohhh, come on! What did I ever do to you?

[There's a brief pause after that's out there, and it seems that he's putting another coin in despite the fact that he's already soaked and it looks like his luck is not getting any better the longer he's at this.

Aaaaaaand yep, that's another gallon of seawater - ]

That's the fourth time today!

[You know what, fine, fuck it. This thing clearly wants to be glared at, so he's going to be glaring at it with the most withering look he can possibly manage. (Given that, you know, he's wet and his hair has gone flat and this whole thing is just tragic.)]

2

[timegazer]

[Adaman's interest in the fashion of this place is probably one of the least productive of his activities here; he's very clear about not wishing to do things that waste his time, but seeing what this place has to offer and all manner of ways he can adorn himself outside of his leaderly robes, and while his fashion seems to have settled into perhaps more...80s punk fashion, leather and entirely too many studs to get past a metal detector, he's always held an open mind.

He's no stranger to seeing Forrest around, at least--the guy has a rather bold sense of fashion, and truly, Adaman can respect the hell out of someone who goes their own way no matter what. But he's not expecting to be approached by him today, with an astoundingly...art deco design...

...Hmm.]

Oho? You truly think so? Allow me a closer look.

[Adaman considers it carefully while he takes a look at what Forrest has picked, accessing it with a calm expression. He has to admit...it's not quite a style that he's checked out; all be told, he thinks something like this would be more at home on Irida, but...

Well, if the grin spreading across Adaman's face is any indication, he seems to at least be into trying it out. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?]

Huh! I daresay, I do find it rather interesting--what made you choose this for me?

Adaman | Pokemon Legends: Arceus

[timegazer]

atlas riffing on the space-time

[To say that waking up in a place like this has been shellshocking is an understatement; Adaman hasn't felt so utterly separated from the world he knows in ever, truly, and even though he's wondering practically daily just what kind of rift the Almighty Sinnoh has launched him into...

It sees Adaman out of his room in an instant once he wakes, taking in the rather...unusual surroundings with deep unease. He's constantly moving, looking about this place warily and impatiently, seeming almost irritated with this whole dilemma--]

Almighty Sinnoh, what trial have you bestowed upon me today...

[Of course, if Adaman happens to see you--his demeanor seems to shift a bit, perhaps surprisingly. It doesn't quite ease, but he seems to be almost...friendlier? Less looking like he's about to crawl on the walls, at least.]

Aha! It would seem I am not alone in waking within this strange rift. [His hand seems to wave out to nothing in particular, a sort of droning motion as he talks--it's energetic, really, perhaps a way to release some nervous energy.] Tell me, have you had any luck in finding an escape from this place?

pokemon masters gacha lookin' real different

[The machines are rather odd things, in Adaman's experience; more than once he's had some rather poor luck in having some food get stuck in the machine, and more than once he's certainly had to be pried off from trying to shake the damn thing...

It seems to be no different today as Adaman spies the rather odd machine down one of the alleys--and it seems to take the rather odd coins he's been finding around his quarters, and it seems to go okay at first--a few odd items he doesn't have the faintest idea of what to do with, but it seems to stall and Adaman's looking at the machine like it's committed the gravest offense of all--

Wasting his time.]

You--! You'd dare to waste my precious time like this?!

[Aaaand his hands are on the machine, starting to shake it, dear pokegods almighty stop him--

If you wait until a little later, though--likely after Adaman has considered such a thing a futile effort and as Adaman is about to walk away, something starts to move in the machine. It's strange, and Adaman is apprehensive and almost ready to fight, but--

When a strangely plant-like creature tumbles out of the machine and shake's itself off, Adaman's look can only be described as one of pure joy--if minor anger, at the machine for doing such a thing.]

My partner! You were trapped in that blasted machine?! [He's checking Leafeon over for any signs of harm--he seems almost relieved that no harm has come, as his partner practically preens into his hand for pets.] Oh, thank Almighty Sinnoh that you're unharmed...

an angel descending

[It's probably no surprise when one might find Adaman, Diamond in the Rough is found dead. Given the way his body is practically crumpled on the ground, and the rather apparent bump he's taken to the head, it's likely he didn't even see it coming at all. It could be owed to his own impatience, perhaps; he's always insisted on patrolling at night, even though there are others more capable than him, others much stronger than him.

The thing is, he's not the only body today; it seems today is a two for one, with (insert character of choice) as a second victim today. What a tragedy, to lose two of your number so soon...

One might be inclined to investigate the body, in order to find what has happened; maybe it's not as cut and dry as it looks, maybe something's been obscured, but...

It seems whoever is investigating Adaman has the magic touch, because perhaps surprisingly, he seems to stir when investigated, eyes opening blearily and slow.]

What on...?

wildcard

[Wanna hit me with something else? Feel free to hit me up at cityescape if you'd like! I don't bite. o/]

a body(?) has been discovered

[sixthnonsense]

[Hagakure is nowhere near qualified to be a bodytoucher, but Adaman was someone he got along well with and as much as this sucks, he owes it to the guy to figure out what happened…

This turns out to be a massive mistake though, because when he leans in, Adaman’s corpse returns to life.]

Oh shi—

[Hagakure yelps and scrambles backwards until he slams up against the nearest wall.]

Z-Z-Z— [He stammers as his fear cements him in place.] Zombie! Adaman’s a zombie!!

[Oh gods. Oh fuck. Is this the start of an outbreak??]

Anthy Himemiya | Revolutionary Girl Utena

[rosehecate]

1 - Amitié

[Bereft of what precious few belongings had come with her, without the tiny companion who had brought her those few glimmers of joy in the darkest hours, one could forgive Anthy Himemiya were she to panic upon waking somewhere unfamiliar. And indeed, there is a long stretch of time where she is still in the bed provided for her, eyes wide, anticipating...something. Anything. The other shoe to drop, perhaps, as it always did. As it always seemed to. But when it became clear it would not so much as budge while she lay abed, Anthy slid out from under the covers...remade the bed, out of habit, straightened her clothes...and slipped out of her room, wide-eyed and silent. She stands with her back pressed against the door for a good long while, if you want to catch her in the hallway, but she will soon set out to explore...this place. Wheresoever it might be. The rhythmic click of low-heeled shoes echoes out far before you see her.]

2 - Choix

Oh, my. There is so very much here...however did it come to be at the bottom of the ocean?

[Anthy speaks to herself with the light and mild sort of candor of a woman who has no qualms with talking to herself as she browses through the myriad options of Fontaine Fashions. Notably, she doesn't pick anything out for herself - she's more art nouveau than art deco, to tell the truth - but she is making a point to look at everything, feeling the weight and texture of dress fabrics, examining the shine of shoes in the light. Who knows if she'll even purchase anything, really.]

3 - Raison

[The motive doesn't shake Anthy at all. Outwardly, at least, so far as anyone can tell. She simply looks at the provided picture - the threatened soul, should she not act, and her eyes shift a bit, her smile stays.]

Oh. Hm.

[She quietly, then, tears the photo in half and lets the pieces fall to the ground before turning on her heel and leaving. I guess this guy isn't really enough to get her to care?]

4 - Adoration (cw: creepy puppet prompt)

Isn't it so interesting? I quite like this peculiar doll, don't you?

[You're in line to get something from the unmarked machine, perhaps hoping for a trinket from home and not a gallon of seawater, and...Anthy is in front of you. Anthy, who only had one coin, who is now holding a creepy-ass puppet in her hands and regarding it with (seemingly) honest adoration. God I am so sorry if this is your phobia, she is. Quite taken with the damned thing.]

5 - Conviction

[There is no helping the broken and bloodied body that has been so uncerimoniously strewn in Anthy's path. Quite literally unidentifiable, it seems - unless she draws closer. Which she must. No one else has arrived, and though she stands frozen with her chest tight and breath shallow, there is no one else, yet. No one. And they can't not know who has been lost.

One would not think this young lady, often so capricious and almost oblivious, could have a gaze of steel as she comes to the body, stopping just at the edge of where the blood has pooled. She sweeps the skirt of her dress up to keep it out of the blood and kneels down, free hand hovering just over the body, hesitant to touch...but ready. Ready to, if she must. If a closer look reveals nothing of this lost soul's identity.]

...It's a shame. I'm not surprised.

6 - Soi

[Wildcard prompt! Hit me with whatever you want!]

4

[wormwife]

[ Jane has been waiting silently behind Anthy this entire time, utterly unremarkable except for the fact that she's standing just a half-step too close to the other woman. Not so close as to be directly in her personal bubble, but close enough to be kind of weird, and definitely close enough to see the doll.

Despite her proximity, it takes Jane a moment to gather enough courage to speak up, prefacing what she's about to say with a quick little nod. ]

I do, too. [ it seems like creepy-ass bullshit is this woman's specialty. ] I would imagine it's grateful to be liked.

[ jane wtf this is a doll ]

misfire | transformers (idw)

[dullshooter]

ii. there's nothing wrong with capitalism

[Waking up in a random place with no recollection of getting there? That's just another Tuesday, baby. And on Tuesdays, we go shopping.]

Isn't it weird that one guy seems to own everything here? [He says, sipping on a Fonatineccino(tm).] Seems like the kind of situation they should make a really tedious board game about the dangers of, if you ask me.

iv. but doctor, i am pagliacci

[Weird, shady unmarked vending machine shoved in a back alley? A more cautious 'bot would think twice before pressing it.

Misfire, however, lacks impulse control.

He pops the coin in before there's any chance to pray for salvation before a comically sudden and inventive demise, aaaaaaaaaand...]

Creepy puppet? Boo. I wanted forbidden snacks.

[He turns to whoever's approaching, and grins.]

Hey, you want a definitely-haunted-doll? Catch.

[Looking at how he's aiming, it's probably best to duck.]

v. it's pronounced 'scavengers'

[Oh, geez. That's a dead body. A dead human body. Organics sure are messy. Now's a moment to pay respects, meditate on the moments spent together, and all that.

Smash cut to: Misfire crouched over, digging through the pockets of the recently deceased. As soon as he hears footsteps, his hands are in the air, wearing the same look as a dog that's eaten something it shouldn't.]

I know it's what they all say -- but it's not what it looks like.

v

[pacternal]

...

[Dude.]

Then you'd best explain yourself, because it looks like you were looting the corpse of one of our fellow captives.

[What does anyone here even have to steal???]

jane prentiss | the magnus archives

[wormwife]

one.

[ Jane wakes up in an unfamiliar room, and frankly, she doubts that it's been cleaned.

She itches. Deep in her skin, as if she's been bitten by a thousand mosquitoes. She hasn't felt anything comparable, except for maybe a brush with poison ivy when she was very young. That was an allergic reaction, back then, so maybe... she's allergic to the sheets? That's entirely possible.

Don't mind the very harried woman frantically stripping her bed and carrying a bundle of sheets through the hallways, looking obviously lost. ]

Um. Hi. Could you tell me where the laundry is?

two.

[ Once her bedding situation has been sorted out, Jane takes the time to properly explore her surroundings. She doesn't seem to mind the run-down quality of the whole place -- on the contrary, she rather seems to enjoy it, sometimes picking at rotten planks of wood here and there.

She spends a decent amount at Fontaine Fashions, mainly looking over the jewelry. She holds up one particular necklace, clearly pleased with her find. ]

Oh, this is quite nice. These gems mean good luck. I think we could all use a bit of that.

five.

[ Jonathan Sims, head archivist of the Magnus Institute, London, is dead. Jane finds him in the waterpark, where it seems that he has suffered a fatal bout of clown-on-clown violence.

Jane, unfortunately, is not taking this well. She's backed up a few paces away, hands over her mouth, and shaking her head. ]

No, this isn't... it wasn't supposed to be like this.

one

[dullshooter]

[Misfire scratches his chin all thoughtful-like. 'Laundry' isn't something he's ever had to be concerned about in his entire life.

He looks out the porthole window to the big wall of ocean out there.

He points.]

How about a 2-in-1? You can wash you and your clothes.

Revolver Ocelot | Metal Gear Solid

[sixshots]

2.
[Hm. Ocelot does not appreciate the overall look of the place, but beggars can't be choosers and all of that. So he decides trying to learn more about the situation they've found themselves is the correct course of action, and makes a beeline towards the library.

It takes him a moment to find a book he thinks will be useful... only to open it and find it completely filled with propaganda on the city, and nothing approaching history.]

I'm not sure why I'm surprised.


5.
[Well, that sure is a dead body. By his non-reaction to it, it appears that not only did Ocelot anticipate someone going ahead and doing the deed, but he looks completely unsurprised at the brutality of the murder.]

Fascinating. I didn't think those puppets could be used to stab somebody.

[He's not the least bit put off, so apparently he's going to be the one doing the body investigation.]


6.
[Wildcard!]

5 why do i do this to myself

[asclepiansword]

Anything can be used to stab someone, with the right amount of effort.

Tommy "Lord Drakkon" Oliver | Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (comics)

[asymptotes]

1 - it's wakin' time

[ Drakkon wakes with a start, breath heavy and ragged. This is... not his beautiful house. Not his beautiful- well, he never had time for a wife, did he, but...

He takes in his surroundings. Nowhere on any Earth he's seen. He's underwater - one of Sterling's facilities, maybe? That... what did they call it again? Lightspeed Aquabase? He can't imagine Zordon knowingly leaving his containment to an outside party, though, so for now he has to assume something hitherto unknown to him.

Whatever it is, and whatever it is intended to be, he will not allow it to be a prison. Lord Drakkon gets dressed quickly in one of the spare outfits lying around - a tie-dye shirt and jeans that were at least a few decades out of style any time he'd ever given fashion a thought - and emerges with Purpose into the hallway.

... That, however, might not be the appropriate way to handle this situation, as soon as he sees other captives. He's seen enough captives by now to recognize the body language, after all. He relaxes and approaches with a relatively friendly wave, probably looking for all the world like a lost dad who really misses the 90s. ]

Hey there. Any chance you know where we are better than I do?

2 - hey kids! visit your local library today!

[ Oh, he hates this. The longer he spends trying to go through the books and find something halfway decent, the more he feels like dropping the Bemused Superhero Dad act altogether and just setting fire to the place. Propaganda after propaganda- he's almost impressed, as someone who used to have a literal minister for it. ]

Woof, not a whole lot of light reading in here, huh?

[ This, of course, doesn't mean he won't play-act a little with whoever else is in here. ]

3 - damn who would do that in a letter?

[ The first time he slips up, at least publicly, is at the distribution of the first motive. "Kill someone or we'll undo the event pictured in this envelope."

It's an old photograph, which makes the event pictured strange to see, given how modern it is. But that's the thing with traveling through time and space, isn't it?

He bites his lip, nearly drawing blood - something like a growl almost starts to leave his throat before he catches himself. But not in time to avoid crumpling the whole thing up in front of god and everyone. ]

4 - slams a coin into the monster-matic

[ The vending machine holds his interest slightly, insofar as anything that provides tools that could be worth a damn does. Mayor Fontaine claims his company made it, so he's hesitant to count on it for anything, but it's still a curious sort of device. ]

I wonder who supplies you...

[ Is there an artisan somewhere, he wonders? Some engineer? Either way, he has some coins, so...

thud thud

It takes him a minute to come to his senses enough to reach down and grab it. Does she plan to arrive somehow and kill him, he wonders? Is this some sort of attempt on his calm demeanor? After all, for all the hatred he feels towards Frank Fontaine, his desire to grant his captor the satisfaction of leaving this place in the prescribed way is nil at most.

He wants to laugh, but there are other people here, so instead: ]

Some toy, huh?

5 - wildcard!

[ Got another idea in mind? Have we talked about something else? Feel free! ]

3

[sugarcandyasshole]

[Tran looks up from his own photo, which is incomprehensible to anyone else. He knows what it means though, and it's funny: he doesn't care. On the surface, he understands how Mr. Fontaine got confused, though.]

I guess he picked right for one of us.

[He puts his own photo neatly back into the envelope it came from and tilts his head to the side.]

What are you going to do about it?

V | Devil May Cry 5

[forvendetta]

[ii; love seeketh not itself to please, nor for itself hath any care]

[A somewhat sickly-looking young man covered in tattoos could be found having taken up residence in the Fontaine Mayoral Library. A cane hooked on his arm, he browsed the shelves, occasionally picking out a book...paging through it, and then tossing it over his shoulder before beginning the process all over again.]

[Or later, one might find him slumped in a chair with a book planted on his face, in the universal sign for 'dead asleep'.]

[iii; but for another gives its ease]

[In his hand was no more than a simple envelope--kill and your greatest desire will be yours. Honestly, he didn't even need to read it. But the letter within was unfolded all the same and glanced over with dark eyes narrowing.]

Obviously. There was no need for this fool to say as much. [He muttered that with a roll of his eyes, pocketing the letter and turning to leave with a sharp click of his bone-white cane.]

[vi; and builds a heaven in hell’s despair]

[wildcard, baby. be nice to me or else, i'm voicetesting]

ii

[guildedlily]

[Does it signal dead sleep, or...?

Rhee peers over at V, then knocks on the nearest table.]

Hey. Still alive under there?

bill close - dungeons & daddies

[someguysdad]

3. Bill Close's Damages

[ Bill cuts a dad-like figure in the... wherever this is. He's got a guitar slung over his shoulder, and is wearing what clearly looks like some clothes that were maybe lifted from one of Fontaine Fashion's many mannequins. The sharp clothes make him look frustratingly good. Now if only he wasn't such a slouch, he'd almost fit right in. ]

Murder, murder, murder, huh... way to kill the mood, man.

[ Bill opens up his envelope, giving it a quick glance. His eyes go wide and he tucks the letter back in, not very subtle at all. ]

Yep, that sucks. [ He shrugs. How does this dude somehow make it look cool. ] Hey, what's yours say?

4. Death Comedy Jam

[ As is the case with every morning, Bill has managed to spend his Thursday morning looking for a quiet place to smoke some weed. Unlike every other morning though, this morning he's stumbled upon a body. Well, shit. ]

Uh... Yeah, no thanks.

[ Yeah, he doesn't stick around long. In fact, he checks his shoes for blood, turns around, and leaves. Calmly. Yep. You'll find him in the kitchen, strumming on his guitar instead. Try to get his attention, and he'll stop, just for you! ]

Heya, kiddo! Looks like nobody's dead yet! Pretty sweet, huh?

[ Citation needed? ]

Wildcard

[ I'm just vibing with this dude, hit up the bad bard dad if you want ]

3

[vholran]

Nothing important.

[ Yet, Vholran straight after tears the letter to shreds. ]

That man's desperation is a sign of weakness. He'll die soon enough.

Azul Ashengrotto | Twisted Wonderland

[octoblot]

2. Capitalism

"Fontaine" is certainly an interesting name, especially considering that I've never heard of them before in any discussion of famous businessmen under the sea.

[Azul can be found looking into the businesses available here, hand to chin as he looks at each sign or pamphlet advertising a shop carefully, even seeming to take notes with whatever paper and pen he was able to find. For some reason, this is what seems to have his attention rather than, you know, the fact that they're now in an underwater city in general.]

Then again, considering that this place is abandoned, they must have been a rather terrible one if they couldn't even keep their city from ending up in such a state. What a shame. If the man's still around, maybe I could be persuaded to give him some advice as a more successful businessman myself.

[... Really, my guy? Is this really a time to be bragging about something like that??]

4. Circus

[Azul, for some reason, has not spent any of the coins that he's acquired so far in this place. He seems far more interested in the coins themselves rather than what they can be spent on, but he does however come to check out these machines regardless, especially when he notices someone else actually using them.

Like you, for example.]

Well? Anything interesting come out this time?

Wildcard

[For anything else your heart desires--motive? Killing? Trial shenanigans? Hit me up, I'm flexible. You can also find me at wailords if you want.]

2. Two characters drawn by Yana Toboso walk into a bar...

[giddyundertaker]

[ This situation is... Interesting, for lack of a better word. On one hand, the Undertaker has better things to do than be trapped in a ruined underwater city. On the other... Humans have managed to build a tower of Babel under the waves with such technology even he didn't expect them to use. Even if the city has gone to hell, the fact it existed at all was fascinating.

Humans are so interesting...

This was on the Undertaker's mind as he was listlessly strolling through the streets until he came across a fellow captive muttering on about matters of business. Foolish boy... The Undertaker smirks, walking up behind the youth and leaning over his shoulder- as if he could actually read that tiny text from this distance. ]

Who's to say he really needs that help? [ Heeeadtilt. ] He could merely be using this as his hideout fer what we know.

Mielle Roscente | The Villainess Turns the Hourglass

[honeyedtea]

the most important meal of the day

[ Of the people who've woken up here, Mielle is... perhaps the most out of her depth. The general everything about her makes it clear that she's a pampered high society miss who's had to be gently walked through more or less everything from running a tap to prepping her own meals. She's still getting the hang of not having a cavalry of maids to her beck and call, so it's probably not a surprise to find her puttering about the kitchen early one morning, having made no progress and looking exceptionally lost.

She's a little startled to have someone approach but she's quick to smile. ]

Oh, good morning to you...! Are you here to prepare breakfast? I was hoping I might be able to manage my own but... [ Her face flushes and she looks a little embarrassed. ] I don't quite understand all these complicated machines, you see...

[ h e l p ]

90s shopping montage music

[ Mielle turned up here in just one set of clothes – bad enough and then made about ten times as worse for the fact that they're her indoor clothes. Even in a situation like this, it's beyond improper to be dallying about with strangers while dressed like that. So she needs a change of clothes. A few, if managable.

That looks like it's going to be a tall ask, though. She's going through the racks at Fontaine Fashions with an increasingly alarmed and unsettled look on her face at all the clothes on offer. They're all perfectly normal clothes to your average modern person, but to Mielle's teenage old timey noble sensibilities... ]

S... surely I'm not being expected to dress in this way, am I...?!

[ yeah she's not diggin it ]

if a bunch of people were kidnapped to a city under the sea and one of them got shoved down the stairs would that be fucked up or what

[ After the lovely incentive handed down to them on Tuesday, everyone's been on edge – so it's probably particularly blood-curdling to hear a heart-stopping scream ring out early on Friday morning. If you're brave or dumb enough to come running, you'll find Mielle at the top of the stairs, all but buckled over the banister from shock. The source of her dismay isn't hard to see if you follow her gaze and spot the tiny figure splayed at the bottom of the stairs, eyes wide and blood oozing out from under her mess of dark hair.

Ryoko Shinonome is dead. ]

Wh... what...! S–she... she can't be, can she? Surely she must have fallen... surely no one would really...!!

i'm so sorry claire

[himbomb]

[Rex is only awake at this hour because, despite his flagrant protests and outright hatred for waking up before 6 AM, Robot's recent training schedule has had an unshakable impact on his own biological clock. So, here he is, preparing his morning coffee in a ridiculous fluffy bathrobe.

It's a no sugar, no milk sort of day.

He turns to face her, sneering, baring his teeth like a wild animal.]

Oooooh! So. Just because I look the way I do-

[Rex's explosive temper blows like a gasket, sounding off in a metaphorical ricochet of blasts.]

You're assuming that I'm supposed to be the help? Well, guess what, Princess?

Fuuuuuuuuu-uuuuck you! Y'know, call me crazy, but I actually think this Yellow Sub-murder-marine bullshit is actually good for ya. Maybe you'll finally learn how to pull your own weight around here!

[Instead of coasting on the backs of people who are far less fortunate. The kind that don't have a choice in the matter.]

Hodaka Morishima | Weathering With You

[withagun]

1. """capitalism""" (stores)
[ This isn't quite where Hodaka Morishima expected to end up, but all things considered he's sort of taking it in stride. Maybe? For a kid who awoke beat up and panicked, at least, he seems to have settled in! And that means shopping!

...Or, does it?

You'd be perfectly within your right to assume either or, because, still wearing the dirty white t-shirt and jeans he woke up in, he keeps walking into various stores and then walking out. If you get close enough, you can even hear him muttering! ]

...but does "abandoned" really mean abandoned? If it's like hotel room service, or extra charges, I'll be in a bind, and I gotta be thoughtful of that now. But it's not, right, since it's a kidnapping scenario, but then what's really normal about this, since there're still price tags, or since the Mayor's deranged, and I can't really afford that, to be in the red, after all...

[ He goes on like this, talking himself in circles. ]

2. and for my next trick (motive)
[ It's secrets. The mayor's handing out everyone's secrets.

Each time something like this has happened, Hodaka largely stays quiet. There are so many adults here, and not many of them have proven themselves to be people he can trust. Or... Well some of them have. But then after what happened with Mr. Suga, should he be a little more discerning? Or, he did help, so...

Predictably, he's spacing out when he opens his envelope. It takes him a few moments of skimming and scanning to understand what's written on the page in front of him, but then he promptly pales as if something stole all the breath from his lungs. Distantly, someone's asking about a meeting. About comparing and sharing, to get ahead of this. Distantly, distantly, Hodaka hears, he does, but—

—

Hodaka crumples the letter into a ball and shoves it into his mouth. This, clearly, is the best solution. ]

3. yabai (murder)
[ What he's seeing in front of him isn't real, right?

That's what Hodaka keeps thinking, as he stands shock-still staring at the body laid out before him, so peaceful if not for the puddle of blood spread out from its abdomen.

Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god.

It repeats perpetually, an endless loop, the air around him thick and oppressive as his jaw trembles from the effort of trying to find something, anything to say.

Call to someone. Say something. Yell out, "I found something! Someone needs help!" Anything, anything, move!

Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. Ohmygodohmygodohmygod.

But he can't. He's just stuck staring at the crimson pool inching ever outward from Mitsuki Izumi, Mom-Shaped, unable to reconcile how someone so full of life is simply so still. ]

4. wildcard
[ my dudes i am a bastion of doing whatever the fuck, hit me up ]

2

[pacternal]

...

...

...

[Wow. The boy literally just did that. Kratos has no words, only this vaguely disbelieving stare.

Is he going to swallow it. Goddess.]

Decker Fortune | OC

[allhandsoff]

»Atlas Shrugged«
[A young woman in lightly-tinted sunglasses is poking her way cautiously through the corridors of Rapture, carefully looking around corners and moving softly even on the most carpet-free floors. She seems very carefully calm, with the practiced control of someone utterly tense and on the edge of freaking out.]

Have you found anyone in charge here, yet?

[If you're successfully stealthy, you might catch her approaching any kind of computer terminal- any electronic part of the city, really- and pulling off one of the thick leather gloves she's been wearing and gently pressing it to the machinery.]

[There's an expectant pause, and then her expression flicks to discernible concern as she pulls her hand away. She presses her hand back to the terminal again, experimentally, waiting for something to happen.]

What-?

[Or you might just catch her peering out through one of the portholes, scanning the ocean around you all, or gazing out through the more open parts of the city.]

I don't see anything leading to the surface, do you?

»Capitalism«
[Decker is. Cautiously exploring the available clothing at Fontaine Fashions, almost afraid to touch anything.]

[If you're stealthy or lucky enough, you might catch her stepping out of a dressing room in a long, flowing skirt in a floral pattern. She inspects herself in a mirror, expression unsure, taking a few swishy steps back and forth with the dress, before turning enough to realize she's not alone and immediately stiffening.]

Oh. I didn't realize I was.

Bye.

[She is heading immediately back into the changing room.]

»Kill, Would You?«
[The incentive offered this week is- a bit unfairly tilted, even their host has to admit. A lot of people in Rapture had been stripped of powers or abilities upon arrival, but this week? Anyone so affected would get back what was missing. More or less.]

[More to the power, less to any control they may have had.]

[Decker has been heavily isolating herself since the announcement, and it's probably not hard to see why. Hair crackling and standing on edge, tiny, sharp sparking noises with most of her movements, the air smelling faintly of ozone in her presence- she's uncontrollably electric, this week.]

Keep your distance.

[The warning is- not quite hostile. But she sounds audibly frustrated.]

»An Angel«
[And come Friday morning, anyone with powers is back to whatever powerless state they'd been left at on their initial arrival.]

[A little investigation found the source easily enough; Fontaine Mayoral Library, chilled and flooding with melting ice, shelves and books knocked over and scattered. And under one of them, almost colder than the icy wreckage around them-]

[The Ice King, The Cold Shoulder, is dead.]

We're probably not lucky enough that him doing this on his own would have counted for the incentive, are we.

»Angel 2.0«
If you're going to accuse me, please just do it.

[Decker looks. So tired.]

[The trial's been going for a while.]

Yes, I could have killed him. He was an old man with glass bones. But please, tell me what exactly makes you suspect me over literally anyone else here?

»Wildcard«
[Choose your own adventure.]

3

[syrinfacet]

[ The perks of being an amethyst dragon meant she was closely attuned to electricity. Storms was the more proper term in her world, but it had manifested as electricity. Was that what lightning was here...?

The downside of being an amethyst dragon is that, much like Decker, Lilac has also been generating electricity this week. Paired with her enhanced strength surging at the worst moments, and she's just as miserable as Decker is.

Still, they have to look out for each other. She'll knock at Decker's door, plate of food in hand. ]

Decker? Have you eaten yet today?

Oswald Cobblepot || Gotham (S2)

[indeepwaters]

2. Nothing Suits Me Like A

[After getting the lay of his immediate surroundings, Oswald Cobblepot is going out to explore New Rapture. He has a bit of a limping gait that slows him slightly, but that doesn't stop him from exploring every crevice he can find. At the moment, he happens to have wandered into Fontaine Fashions, and is currently standing back a bit, looking at an array of three different suits, all in different shades (dark purple, dark blue, and black) and each with different accents (one a solid color, one pinstripe, and one with a slight subtle embroidery pattern.) He's got one arm folded over his chest and holding his opposite elbow, while the other hand holds what looks like a broken table leg, and is tapping it against his own shoulder. Now where did he get a thing like that?

Anyway, after a moment he just sighs dramatically, throwing his hands up a bit]

Ugh. No. It's an attempt but there are things wrong with each of these. What am I supposed to wear now? [he sounds...so annoyed.] There isn't even a dry cleaners' here!

4. Not So Little Creepy Wooden Puppets, You Say?

[After spending some time trying to figure out what to do with these mysteriously appearing coins, Oswald stumbles upon this odd vending machine after following another resident there. After throwing a few coins in, he startles as this guy tumbles out of the vending machine. Oswald is currently giving it his most disgusted look] Ugh. Who would ever want something like this?

[he tosses it to the side, rolling his eyes] Hopefully not everything coming out of this machine is like that. [snide, and yet still reaching up to put in another coin]

5. Corpse Party - CW: blood and gore and messing with said gore

[Oh no! There's been a murder! There's blood splattered over the walls of the library, and several books lay scattered, their pages torn.

Oswald wasn't the one who discovered the body, but he was right behind the one that was and he looks particularly non pulsed, considering that Joseph Buquet is now dead. He wasn't hanged by a phantom, no--rather he was torn in two, half of him against one wall of the library, half on a table across the room. There's a trail of blood between them, and spattered up on the books against the first wall. Organs litter the floor in between but Oswald? Seems completely non pulsed. In fact, he's wandered over to poke at the upper half of Buquet with the tip of a black umbrella he found earlier in Fontaine Fashions.]

Well. Someone got a little bit too enthusiastic, didn't they? [for being in a gory murder scene, he sure does sound amused, smiling a bit at whomever else is there] And they didn't even clean up after themselves! [he makes a tsking noise, shaking his head] Really. So rude.

2

[allhandsoff]

Most people lean towards clothes.

[Decker has a small selection of her own in-hand as she speaks. It looks incredibly utilitarian, or at least as plain as is available here. Still a far cry from Oswald's rejected selections.]

Misty F*cking Quigley | Yellowjackets

[venmoyou]

3.

[Oh. Misty had been delighted when the envelopes had been handed out-- eager to learn the secrets of her fellow captives-- but she hadn't thought ahead to the fact that she'd be handed an envelope too.

She holds it up to the light, squinting like she might be able to see it without actually opening the damn thing. It's too risky, even if she's not sure which of her secrets it might hold.]

I have an eight-figure book deal on this one. And Meryl Streep was going to play me. It was a very lucrative deal. [The way she says it— it’s said in the way that you might tell your best friend after your parents get divorced, that your dad isn’t around as much because he’s the new president of hello kitty.

She can’t be serious.]

Or Scarlet Johansson. I haven’t decided yet.

4.

[Now that several others have used the vending machine, and they’ve realized that not only are there things from home, but living creatures from home in there– Misty can be found shoving coin after coin after coin into the machine, her desperation increasing – as long as no one’s around to see her desperation increasing.

Finally, after the machines spat out a weird postcard, a furby, some really questionable beverages, a loaded gun, and someone much more stylish than her’s outfit, she’s out of coins, and can be found down on the ground, on her hands and knees. One arm’s wedged into the vending machine itself, and she keeps butting her shoulder against the thing.]

Come on, sweetie, come to Mommy-– I know you’re in there– Come on out, baby--

5.

[There’s a body. It doesn’t matter whose, but it seems to be the kind of murder that makes the mods ask you “Is your character wearing shoes?”. Most of the people around her are disturbed, panicking even– but Misty’s good in a crisis. She steps forward, into the puddle of blood– and looks directly behind her, in the direction of someone who may have judged her shoes earlier this week.]

See? Sturdy, water proof. No slip.

[And then she pulls a pair of disposable gloves out of her pocket. The scrubs she's wearing makes this marginally less creepy, but only just barely.]

2 sam plz don't block me

[bootyhunter]

[Now, Dandy, who was planning on using the vending machine to hopefully procure one of his favorite lewd magazines, has succeeded in quietly keeping his distance thus far.

Thus far.]

You can fit a whole entire baby in that thing?

[For someone who uses the same damn word as a punctuation mark, you'd think he'd be a little less boneheaded regarding Misty's statement.]

Whoaaaaaa.