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

[withagun]

[ Once upon a time, Hodaka would've thought a haunted doll was just a story from the sorts of reputable magazines Mr. Suga writes for. Now, as the two of them separate it from his body, he can't help but wonder if it's fingers are actually trying to hook into his shirt. Stranger things have happened in his life.

His face wears a grimace as well as he gently kicks the puppet away from him. ]

So if you weren't trying...?

[dullshooter]

Yeah, see, believe it or not, I was aiming for your hands. Y’know, to catch it. And not with your face.

[See how well that turned out?]

If I was going for the headshot, pretty sure it would’ve just hit some other sad sap instead.

[withagun]

Sad sap...

[ He very quietly repeats while tapping at his nose. Ah, it's mostly superficial. He just applies pressure, very casually. ]

Have you practiced?

[dullshooter]

Oh yeah. Lots.

[He recalls every game of “shoot shoot bang bang” had with his fellow scavengers. That counts enough.]

If I were a couple shades more desperate, I’d start believing that my shoddy aim is actually a gift from Primus, and the reason it doesn’t get any better is because it might be really important someday.

[He quirks an eyebrow at Hodaka’s nose-poking, albeit a little late for registering concern.]

You okay there, buddy?

[withagun]

[ Now he doesn't know what Primus is but he can make an educated guess with that. A "gift" of that nature...? Hodaka almost snorts, before remembering his nose is very slightly bleeding, and that would be a huge issue. Every now and then, his nonfunctioning brain cell wins out. ]

Huh...? Why wouldn't- [ And then mostly it turns right off, because really, he was just thinking of it but he has to question...? ] Oh. Yeah, I'm fine, it doesn't even hurt. I just don't want to get blood on my shirt.

[ ...The white t-shirt that makes up half of his wardrobe, the one that's already stained with dirt and sweat and various other things he hasn't been able to get out through washing. ]

[dullshooter]

I think it might be a little late to start worrying about that.

[God, that shirt’s a mess.]

So long as you promise you’re not about to pass out on me. ‘Cause I can’t guarantee I can stop that thing - [He jerks a thumb to the discarded puppet.] - from taking the rest of your blood if you do.

[withagun]

Huh?

[ Again. He doesn't really get it. Frankly someone needs to introduce this kid to stain remover.

The puppet, actually, is the more pressing matter. He doubletakes, making sure it hasn't moved. ]

—You- don't think it'd actually do that, do you? Dolls-that-take-your-blood isn't a normal superstition or urban legend or something in that category, right? Right... Right.

[ Still. He sort of inches away from it. Really inches away from it. ]

[dullshooter]

Look, kid, I’m not in the interest of pushing you over the edge into deep-set paranoia — but if there’s one thing I’ve learned [And he doesn’t learn much] it’s that the universe can always be counted on to find new ways to terrify you.

[That sounded more inspiring in his head.]

Just don’t let it develop a hunger for the red stuff, and you’ll be fine.

[Reassuring pat.]