Test Drive

[uploadedmods]

TEST DRIVE 001


-TDM threads can be considered game canon if players involved agree & if it suits any roles you may decide to choose for the current plot.
-Any reserving player that does not submit an app by Saturday morning will be subject to challenging applicants.
-Participation in the Test Drive is worth a flat 10 points per month rather than per thread, and you must have a minimum of 5 comments in that month to qualify for it.
-This TDM is good for the duration of the Mist setting. A new TDM will go up before the next setting.

The NETWORK for this setting is a voice-only walkie talkie system that can be used to communicate between all locations. The default channel will be open to all walkie talkies, but characters can change to an unused channel for private conversation.
of note: There seems to be something strange about these walkie talkies, in that there is no static. The quality is disturbingly crystal clear, like the person you're speaking to is right next to you instead of miles away.

CONTENT WARNING: Some prompts contain gore, character death, and substance abuse.

Reserves will open on Saturday, September 8 until Saturday, September 15
Applications will open Saturday, September 15 until Saturday, September 22

General Prompts


The lights above you are a blindingly, pristine white. The walls around you curve up into the ceiling like the inside of an MRI machine. Your hands, feet, and midsection are strapped to a clinical table, and minutes seem to tick by, with no clear course for escape presenting itself to you.

The curved white space above you flickers with color, and a perfect square like a television screen expands before your eyes. It pans over what appears to be a town, something small and simply populated.

“Hello, and welcome to your first setting,” a neutrally cadenced feminine sounding voice begins, riding the line between human and machine. As she speaks, captions of the text type themselves in neat and perfect Arial font. “The location is loosely based off Bridgton, Maine, United States of America, Earth. The year is 2007. You have been selected to participate. Obedience ensures an enjoyable and immersive experience for our audience. If you have been granted a role, instructions will follow. Do not talk about the role. Do not attempt disobedience. If you have not been granted a role, your objective for this round is simple: survive.”

After that, the shackles may release promptly and allow your character to roam free. Or perhaps not — perhaps they've been given a role to play, and if so, further instructions will play out upon the screen. Once suitably briefed, characters will be released to their own devices. Beware the mist.

CHECK OUT THE CURRENT SETTING PAGE FOR DETAILS ABOUT THE LOCATION.

learn from the mistakes of others

A pair of unperturbed mall inhabitants decide to chance the mist. They're the first of a handful to trickle out the front doors, and they seem to get by just fine. About a minute ticks by, and they disappear completely into the dense fog that presses in from every direction. It's so anticlimactic that for a moment it almost seems stupid to feel uncomfortable by the sight of it.

Until precisely one half of a body is hurled abruptly and with great force from an indeterminate point in the obscurity. It's not a top half or a bottom half; no, it's a cleanly sliced left half, head to toe as though a neat line were cut down the middle. It slams into the transparent glass doors and crumples before them, still and obviously unmoving, slowly leaking.

After a few seconds, a dark tendril of something reaches out, curls around the jutting left ankle, and drags it with painstaking slowness back into the fog.

At least the rest of them probably made it, right?

Right?

Hopefully you weren't one of the others to follow their lead. If you were, that dark shape seems to be closing in awfully quick.

eff this, let's bounce

A pair of car keys can be found discarded or perhaps dropped in their owners' haste. Braving the mist when it's at its lightest and pressing the key fob will cause a car to beep politely, flashing lights to indicate its location in the fog. Take anyone willing to go with you and pile in. Try to get the hell out of dodge!

An excellent idea....

Within five miles of the car's journey the battery will die and the engine will stall. Consider yourselves effectively stranded and with no one but yourselves to blame. Perhaps help will come if you wait long enough? Hours, surely no more than a few days... Maybe you should consider braving the fog to get back? Five miles can feel like a hundred in conditions like these.

Either way, it seems like you're trapped in the car for about as long as R. Kelly got trapped in the closet during that one unfortunate CD.

radio chatter

Characters in the library and the church will be able to communicate via walkie talkie radio chatter immediately! Characters in the mall will not have this ability until later in the month, so any network style threads with a mall character will take place during Week Two of the October plot or later, after most people have already been fully introduced to the setting and given time to adapt.

Roles

Employee of the Month (Multiple)

Some characters will be printed wearing a designated kiosk uniform, their name sloppily stickered in slightly crooked letters onto a Dippin' Dots badge, or whatever store they may happen to be assigned to. The cool voice that introduces them to the mist will carry on to tell them that they'll be playing employee # _____ in this month's immersive experience. Their motivations and objectives are simple: go to work.

Except the role seems to be bugged, because they can never not go to work. If they leave the five or six foot radius of their designated post they'll begin to experience consequences, which worsen in severity based on distance and duration. The role doesn't end at mall closing, it doesn't end on Saturdays, it simply doesn't end. Hopefully next month's code push will have a bug fix; we apologize for the inconvenience.

(If choosing to keep these threads as game canon, the role will wear off within the first in-game week)

Aggravated Assault

Congratulations, participant! You will be playing the role of a CONVICTED FELON having recently been released on parole. Your motivation for this month's immersive experience is frustration. Having undergone hard time, you'll find that we have increased your aggression and temper characteristics, and lowered your inhibitions. Your objective is to find and begin an altercation with Snuff the Rooster, who will be playing the role of the person who turned you in, NARK. Your altercation must take place in a public space with witnesses, and may not stop until Snuff the Rooster is unconscious, evicted from the mall, or someone intervenes.

Thank you for your participation!

Consequences for not completing the objective in this role can be moderate to severe.

Snuff the Rooster

Congratulations, participant! You will be playing the role of NARK. Formerly a close friend and ally of CONVICTED FELON from Aggravated Assault, you were quick to roll on them during police questioning in exchange for your freedom. Your motivation is to turn over a new leaf, and get your shit together. Your objective is to survive the altercation.

Thank you for your participation!

The Lovers (Duo Role)

Congratulations, participant! You will be playing one half of a partnership role! Please seek out (character 2). Your motivation this round is love, and the need to protect your partner from threats both inside and outside of the mall. Your objectives is to greet your lover with a kiss and place them above all others. Do not act like strangers.
Consequences for not completing the objective in this role or failing to present a convincing couple can be mild to moderate.

Pathological

Congratulations, participant! You will be playing a background character in our current setting. Your motivation is to tell lies; at least one third of what you say must be unarguably untrue. Your objective is to keep these lies from being discovered as false.
Consequences for not complying with this role can vary from mild to severe, with the compulsion to tell larger and larger lies growing as time goes on.

Scared Speechless

Congratulations, participant! You will be playing a background character in our current setting. You may choose one person, stranger or otherwise. This is the only person you may communicate with, either verbally or through writing.
Consequences for not complying with this role are severe.

Glitches

potency error

Someone seems to have miscalculated the relative strength of intoxicants; all inhibition-altering substances seem to have been cranked up to eleven. One shot has the strength of three, though the taste seems to stay exactly the same. One or two drinks will quickly creep up on you. One of the joints found discarded in the bathroom trashcans will easily green you out. God forbid you've got anything stronger.

greatest movie of all time

Settling in to the relatively nice theater found at the far end of the mall is a decent way to make the time go by. The projectors are automated, and there are six different theaters that show flicks at scheduled times.

Except that every single one of them is showing Spider-Man 3. Every single one, every single showing, no matter what is advertised, becomes Spider-Man 3. That's how you know this is a horror game. Hope you didn't wander in by mistake because the doors will shut behind you and leave you to watch the entire showing. Please keep your feet off of the seats.

please replace toner cartridge

It seems there was an error in printing someone this first time around; everything came through but the visuals somehow. Your character is flesh and blood, fully formed, wearing tangible clothes even, but are completely invisible. Donning additional clothing causes it to clip out and then promptly disappear. Taking clothes off will cause them to reappear. Hopefully this gets fixed in the next lite patch.

(If choosing to keep these threads as game canon, the glitch will wear off within the first in-game week)

code bases by tricklet

Comments

QUESTIONS

[uploadedmods]

[justpure]

About the invisibility glitch? Do objects disappear if held, or can my character carry it around so folks can see him?

Diana Abel | Vampire: The Masquerade | OTA

[middlechilde]

A - Arrival Shenanigans

Diana didn't mind being naked. She owned a mirror, she knew what she looked like. Her body was a temple and she had the face of an idol. That really wasn't the issue. What bothered her more was the theft. Clothes were material possessions, easily replaced, but her ring, her necklace? She felt a stinging pain along the back of her neck, as if the chain had been forcibly ripped from her. The tether that connected her to her sisters, back to her father, was gone. And that, more than the loss of her clothes, made her feel truly naked.

But again, she didn't mind. There were, after all, more hilariously strange problems to deal with. The super weird message came to mind. The slasher-movie-style bondage? Setting? Maine? 2007?

A little line formed between her lavender eyes as she tried to assess the situation. Everyone always told her that she was stupid and, for the most part, she believed it. But she reasoned it didn't take genius-level intellect to recognize a mall. Only a few swaying steps. In LA, malls were more common than fire hydrants. And that was definitely a food court. But...

No. No something was very, very off.

"Merde," she muttered, pursing her lips. At least there were other people around. Walking up to a complete stranger--stark naked--and asking 'Hi, so, how did I end up here?' didn't feel like a solid plan. But from the expressions on other people's faces, she got the sense that they were all in the same boat. That was bad news. So she turned, sweeping her hair off of her shoulder and asked, "Is everyone all right?" An American accent, with the faintest hints of Valley Girl. "Is anyone hurt? Do you need help?" She was a vampire. Ultimately, she felt she could handle Weird, better than most.

At least, that's what she decided for the moment. It was entirely possible she'd change her mind, though. Diana was pretty good at that.

[OOC: Happy to switch to action spam if you prefer!]

B - Exploring the Mall

Shoplifting wasn't exactly Diana's style. It wasn't like she was sticking it to some fat cat corporation. The person most likely to be hurt was the minimum wage shop worker. How many times had she rebuked the teenage girls on the compound? But she had to admit, she could see the appeal. There was a bit of a giddy rush, almost like a heartbeat, when she snabbed a flowy, purple paisley dress from one of the shops. Anyway, if she was going to get in trouble, better for that than for causing some kind of accident walking around in her bare skin. She had once, quite literally, caused a car crash back in the 1960s. It had been at a bra burning. The guilt haunted her for weeks.

It was nowhere near as unsettling as this place, though. The glossy-eyed, phrase-repeating patrons of the mall reminded her of Invasion of the Pod People. And not in the groovy, nostalgic sort of way. She tried coaxing information out of a couple of them, but finally gave up. The straw that really broke that camel's back was when she tried to use her Awe on them and got...nothing. Not that Diana traded on her looks above all else, but she wasn't used to getting...nothing.

She wanted to get out, but any time she came near one of the doors, she was sure she could still see sunlight. It made no sense at all. She was perfectly wide awake. But...well. She didn't know what the light was. All she knew was that it was definitely holding her prisoner.

Fortunately, the frustration was interrupted when she found the shop with musical instruments. It had only been a few hours, but already, Diana's fingers desperately itched for her guitar. None of the guitars on display were as good--they weren't her guitar--but she tried them out, one by one. And almost by reflex, she started to sing. First a few French arias. Then Bon Jovi. The Beatles. Selections from Children of Eden. Now she was on American Pie:

"Did you write the book of love
And do you have faith in God above
If the Bible tells you so?
Now do you believe in rock and roll?
Can music save your mortal soul
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?"

Complicated songs. That's what she realized. She was going out of her way to fit in as many notes and lyrics and chords as she could. As if to prove that she was real, unlike the zombie-ish patrons going through the motions around her. Malkavians always looked to self-understanding before they tried to put together the pieces of the puzzle that was the world around them. This was, probably, a little more literal than her usual mind trips. But she needed to start somewhere.

[OOC: Happy to switch to action spam if you prefer!]

C - Radio Chatter

[Diana's voice is a little bit like a pure drop, falling into a smooth pond. The ripples ring out, richer and fuller. Or something like that. She's always been musical and even a dire situation isn't going to change that.]

Um...hi?

[Nor is it going to change the unmistakably American accent of the Cainite. It's tinged with Valley Girl. A voice she's worked to perfect over the years.]

I don't know if anyone can hear me. Uh, my name is Diana. Diana Abel. A-B-E-L. As in "Caine and dot, dot, dot..." Listen. I'm not sure what's going on here but...I don't suppose Alan Funt and a hidden camera is an option right now?

Can someone tell me what's going on? That would be totes groovy.

Uh...over?

D - Wildcard

[OOC: Seriously, throw any of the prompts at Diana! She's a LARP character. She runs straight into the fire every time.]

A

[myorders]

To say that Peggy's nerves are currently jangling would be understating the matter by quite a bit. A lot has happened in a small amount of time, and although she prides herself on being quick on the uptake, her mind is reeling a bit from the rapid progression of events. All she knows at this precise moment is that she is in a mall, there are people milling about, and- there is another woman speaking to her.

"I'm alright, I believe. Nothing appears to be amiss, although I would appreciate a bit more of an explanation than what I've received. I don't suppose you happen to know anything more about what is happening here?" It seems like a very long shot indeed, because she supposes that the other woman has received the same message she has. "Can you recall what you were doing before you arrived here?"

Yoarashi Inasa | My Hero Academia | OTA

[blowshard]

A; ARRIVAL (MALL)

[ Disorienting. That's the only way that Inasa can describe it at first: it's incredibly disorienting. Inasa can just feel something wrong about himself, like someone has put a wet rag over him to smother something out.

It doesn't take him long to figure out what that something is.

Inasa can be found not too far from the creation bays, near the exit of the bowling alley into the mall proper. He's crouched down as though staring at something, but it mostly just seems to be his hand. His eyes are laser beam focused, finger pointing at a piece of crumpled up paper on the ground. The paper wriggles, lifts just a tiny bit, before falling harmlessly back to the ground again.

A frustrated noise leaves him and he drops down to the ground completely, legs curled up as he keeps trying to do... whatever it is he's trying to do. ]


B; Barely a Provisional Hero

[ Well, now that he's figured out he can barely make even the tiniest amount of wind, he might as well go embrace the whole teenage lifestyle and venture out into the mall proper. He doesn't really go to them all that often, and this place is foreign on top of everything. And... kind of bizarre, honestly. Every now and then he gets a glance toward an exit, and he can't help but think that the fog out there is starting to roll in thick.

Boy, it sure would be nice to be able to conjure up a couple of gusts right about now!

Inasa eventually makes his way toward one of the exits, following a crowd of what looks like gawkers. He's right about one thing: this fog is dense. Almost unnervingly so. Inasa tips his head to the side, trying to ignore the quiet mutters of the crowd around him to try to figure out just what it is about this that's so upsetting. And then he realizes it: the only sound he can hear is from the people around him. Even through closed doors, they should be able to hear something. Cars going by. Horns. Anything.

His gaze follows a couple of people who decide to venture out, his lips pressing into a thin line. When nothing happens, he starts to wonder if maybe he shouldn't go get them back, just to be safe--but then the decision is made for him. The body comes hurtling at the doors and he, and everyone else in the crowd, take a step back. He hears screams, can sense people running; he's almost certain he can hear someone throwing up off to the side. But Inasa is fixated on the sight, a coldness settling onto his skin.

He should... he should do something. He doesn't see any pro heroes around here. But. God. What can he do? Against something like that? Whatever that is? Inasa is used to the tangible, the physical, being able to see his opponent and take them out. But he doesn't even have his quirk. He's... useless.

Or maybe not...

Inasa turns and grabs the first person he sees that isn't running away screaming, crying, or throwing up, and places his rather large hands on their shoulders. ]

You! I am recruiting you to assist me!

[ Oh. Oh, he's loud. ]

We need to try to calm everyone down! A panicked mob is a danger! I am going to try to gather everyone's attention so that they are no longer paying any mind to the--[ body. ]--events transpiring outside! We shall then usher them to the food court and try to regain some sense! Are you with me?


C; continued
( wildcard option! inasa can be found anywhere inside of the mall, trying to enjoy its perks before Shit Goes Down. come at me with any roles you may want, though i haven't decided on any myself. if you want to plot something first, feel free to pm me! i can also match to prose if you desire. )

B

[myorders]

[ When someone's hands grab onto her shoulders, Peggy's eyebrows all but shoot off her face. ]

Excuse me! I would appreciate it if you did not lay hands on me or shout.

[ She's as rattled as the rest of them appear to be, but this is not helping her mood nor her confusion one bit. Once she manages to calm herself, however, she nods in agreement with his words. ]

I agree, we don't need a panicked mob at this time, or any time for that matter. If you succeed in getting their attention, then I'm all for helping you direct them to the food court.

[ But then again, there are only two of them and quite a fairly large number of people milling about. Despite her agreement, Peggy isn't certain at all that they'll succeed in this endeavor. ]

I do hope you're very persuasive.

Steve Rogers | Marvel Cinematic Universe

[unshielding]

Glitching
Steve wakes up strapped to the table. It's not wholly unfamiliar, but it's been a while. It sends him down memory lane, distracts him from the thoughts he'd had before he'd opened his eyes, but they quickly win his attention back. Thanos. Whatever this place is, he has to figure it out and get back to the others.

He ignores the suggestions and rules and steps away as soon as he's released, but when he steps closer to the big mirror, he realizes that while everyone else who's waking up seems to have a reflection, his is missing.

"What is this?"

Into the Mist
Steve has no reflection and no one seems to be able to see him. Once he gets his wits about him and he takes stock of his surroundings in the mall, he isn't afraid of the heavy fog. He's faced far worse in his life than the unknown and even that isn't something that will slow him down. He sees no reason not to face it head on, especially after he sees half a body hurled back out of the haze. Whatever is out there, it's hurting people.

Whatever this place is--a trick from Thanos or physic illusion--Steve will power through it because he has no choice. He's managed to remember enough to remember who he is and that this isn't right. That's a good start. He knows enough to fight back. He can't take a chance that it's not real. He can't leave people out there to get hurt if there's even a chance that they're real

He runs back into the sporting goods store he'd woken up in and he grabs a baseball bat off of one of the displays before he heads back to the glass doors that lead out of the mall.

"Stay here!" He yells back over his shoulder to anyone behind him. Then he's heading out into the dense fog after whatever had grabbed that body back. It's too bad that no one else can see him.

Go for a Drive
Steve's managed to find a car and he's driving slowly through the mist, keeping an eye out for anyone else who might need help. He's alone in the car with his thoughts, but at least he can cover more ground this way. With the poor visibility, he has to move at a snail's pace, because it's only a matter of time before he hits something between people, creatures and objects. At least if he's slow, he won't destroy the car or kill anyone.

He catches sight of what he hopes is a person and he cracks the window.

"Over here!" The headlights flash at them, but when they look over, Steve's still invisible and it looks like no one is driving the car.

Wildcard
[ Hit me with something else or plot with me at blauren. ]

go for a drive;

[freightcars]

He woke up in a god damn library. He's not so sure what's more unsettling about the whole thing- the fact that he's been kidnapped, the machine he woke up in, or the desolate, all-encompassing fog stretching around them in every direction.

Ten minutes into trying to walk somewhere, he's decided it's the latter. He'd started hearing things, whispers around him coming from nowhere.

Sergreant Barnes...
...Howard!

Distant, dim things like they were a mile away but somehow right beside his ear. It got him nervous, twitchy, whirling around like he was losing his god damn mind, one second away from bolting until-

Headlights.

"Thank god," he mutters to himself, jogging over to the passenger's side, hand on the doorhandle, only to see-

not a single fucking soul in the driver's seat. He doesn't open the door, can only stare, can't seem to stop the involuntary, "What the hell?"

Osomatsu Matsuno || Osomatsu-san || ota

[relieable]

I) no longer in Kansas... or Akatsuka Ward

[it's a church. a quaint, little, run-of-the-mill church, like the kind Osomatsu has seen in movies. he's probably never been in a church his whole life. until now. he checks to see if he's alone, then makes his way over to the window to look outside. it's completely foggy beyond the glass, and he doesn't hear anything. it's as if the church is just floating in the middle of nowhere.

he draws away from the window]

Where the hell are we? [and why? what happened to that technical-like place with the creepy robot voice? why is he suddenly in a church now? and what is the meaning of being given a role?

well, Osomatsu's played tons of roles before. he can probably play this one. hey, yeah, maybe this is just a play, or something... yeah... let's explore the church, shall we? or are we going outside?]

II) easy listening

[so Osomatsu's found a walkie-talkie. the most obvious and logical thing to do would be to reach out to others in this harrowing time. but Osomatsu decides to take... an entirely different approach. he turns on the device, and leans in to talk]

Yo, yo, yo. What's up, guys and gals? This is Smooooooth Pine, bringing you the tunes you love and the hits you wanna hear when you're fearing for your life. Let's check in to see how everyone's doing. Caller one. [that's you, apparently] You're on the air.

III) he nyoom

[okay, enough of the creepy church, enough of the walkie-talkie. Osomatsu's going crazy. he wants out of here! he slowly pushes open the doors and steps into the fog. almost immediately, he finds the set of car keys lying on the ground right outside the church's steps. cautiously, he clicks the button, causing the car to beep at him. it's not that far away, still in the parking lot.

he wonders what happened to the owners.

...anyway, he pokes his head back into the church]

Guys! I found a car! [and just what is he going to do with this car? he doesn't know how to drive! he's not saying that, though]

IV) wildcard

[want to do something different? put it here, or poke lovebakery to plot! also, i am happy to change formats if you don't like action spam]

III

[myorders]

Congratulations. You found a car.

[ Peggy's deadpan, slightly unimpressed tone is unmistakable. ]

Are you able to drive said car? And where would you suggest we go, assuming it is even functioning?

[ Yes, she knows anywhere is most likely better than here, but they should have a plan, or a destination, in mind before they just go driving off into who-knows-what. ]

Date Masamune | Sengoku Basara [OTA; brackets or prose, all good here]

[vengaboy]

guess he's not all right

[It's been one hell of a day for Masamune and the game's only been running for, what, a couple of hours? Waking up in a strange new environment full of the kinds of technology and aesthetic that were a few centuries ahead of anything he'd ever experienced, being given a role to play (ha ha, yeah right), and now finally finding a way out of this ridiculous building just in time to see half a carcass slam against the glass.

He's seen plenty of corpses before, some cut just as cleanly. But this is different. It's all wrong, and he can tell it isn't the work of any blade even before the ... something pulls it back into the mist.

Masamune takes a step back from the doors, his hand twitching with the automatic habit of reaching for something at his hip - something that isn't there. Well, damn. Okay! Ha ha! Wow! Guess that's not happening today. Time for a new plan. He spins on his heel and addresses anyone who happens to be nearby, stance upright, voice loud and clear as any leader's ought to be.]

Listen up, guys! We need a barricade right now!

[Please, please let these people be more useful and responsive than the weirder folks he was trying to demand answers from earlier.]

how's the pie?

[Basically your wildcard option. Maybe it's earlier in the day and Masamune's still trying to get his bearings. maybe he discovered hot topic and is losing his mind Maybe he's trying to approach random NPCs to figure out what the hell this is all about. Maybe he's trapped in a showing of the greatest movie of all time.

By the way. He's also playing one of the lovers. Good luck.]

[myorders]

[ As luck would have it, Peggy here prides herself on being useful and responsive when the situation calls for it. And she would say that this situation absolutely calls for cool heads.

She's seen some very unsettling things since her arrival into whatever this place is, and the corpses that she's encountered are quite a bit off-putting. Luckily for her, she isn't the type to lose her lunch, so to speak, but she does press one hand to her mouth in disgust.

Like Masamune, she reaches for her nonexistent gun, and its absence makes her very put out indeed. ]

Oh, bloody hell.

[ She looks up just in time to hear him shout about constructing a barricade, and without hesitation, she steps up. ]

I'm with you. The sooner we construct a barricade, the better.

Dean Winchester → Supernatural

[righteously]

the lovers

Dean Winchester is not a happy fucking camper. He's not a particularly happy consumer either, because he's pretty sure he went to sleep in god damn Montana and woke up in an MRI machine in Maine. He missed about the first half of the speech Microsoft Samantha rattled off to him, and only tuned in during the latter half where he's kindly informed he's got to hunt someone down a plant a wet one on them, or else...?

He scoffs. Or else what? Yeah, okay, like that's gonna happen.

Except fifteen minutes into wandering the mall his stomach starts to ache, a deep and unavoidable pit like he's gonna hurl his guts up. It spreads to aching in his joints, to a burning fire in his chest, and a singular thought consumes his brain- play your role.

"Okay, okay, Jesus Christ-" He snarls and no one in particular, and stalks through the crowd until he finds the face that matches his other half. Whether they're interested in participating in this god damn charade or not, it doesn't seem to matter. He whirls them around by the shoulder, announces a rather spiteful sounding, "Mornin' honey!"

And plants a firm smackeroo on their mouth.

Then looks up to the sky and barks out a pissed off, "Happy now?"

Judging by the fact that the pain's gone he's gonna say yeah, they're happy.

learn from the mistakes of others (or don't)

So, yeah, okay, he's seen people wander off in the mist. And he saw that half a body get slung back, but if they think for a single second that's gonna phase him they obviously haven't read the god damn novels, right? Winchester heads toward the sporting goods section and hunts down a machete from the camping gear.

And then he realizes there's a veritable god damn arsenal in there ranging from shotguns to crossbows, and he can't help but murmur, "Merry Christmas."

Catch him loading up a small army's worth of weapons, or catch him stalking out the front doors like he's ready to put down whatever the hell's out there waiting for them.

Lovers!

[majormalfunction]

A raised eyebrow. Stellar reaction from Motoko. Not that she's opposed to the whole thing, but it seems like this stranger is and had she not gotten the entire debrief before they'd dropped her in a backwater and took away any method she had of communicating with anyone beyond whoever was standing in front of her. She felt deaf, almost, without her cybercomm, even if there wouldn't be any Net for her to jack into anyway.

"There are better pick up lines, you know." Maybe he didn't have a choice, but he could at least put in some effort. Something told her whatever force was holding them here under whatever pretense this was wasn't going to remain happy for too long if he kept yelling at it every time he had to do something.

"You're not being very romantic, are you?"

Motoko Kusanagi | Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex | OTA

[majormalfunction]

learn from the mistakes of others

Understandably, the screaming starts immediately. There's barely time to mutter an incredulous "my god" before her own thoughts were drowned out by the yelling of civilians who'd never seen anything atrocious before. Really, she can't blame them--she's had time and opportunity to develop the cynicism and stomach to handle the most depraved sorts of violence.

Like, for instance, coming across half a body. She didn't like it, but she didn't run screaming in a panic either. She definitely couldn't stand by herself against a mob, though, and she half-wished that Batou was around to be large and intimidating for her. Instead, she frowned and pushed her way forward to the glass, glancing around for anything that she could use to block the view and coming up empty. And...was something dragging the body off?

"You there! Get me something to cover this up with! Now!"


greatest movie of all time

Motoko has never been one for movies in the first place, but eventually she just runs out of places to explore, and she wanders her way in, chooses a theater at random, and stands there watching for a few moments and--

--that's definitely not the movie they're calling it on the marquee outside. Unless she's ended up in the wrong place? After a moment to make sure, she turns and heads for the door to check only to find it locked and swears under her breath and is immediately shushed by a patron sitting nearby. She would truly love to glare at them, but it's too dark to see her disapproval. After another few futile moments messing with the door trying to get it open, she gives up and flops down into an empty seat, heedless of whoever she's sitting next to.

Yes, this is definitely not the kind of movie she enjoys.

"This is ridiculous."

wildcard

[Network/actionspam/anything else! Hit me up at scattershot]

[myorders]

Peggy has never had much time for movies. When she's not playing the dutiful yet sometimes opinionated secretary for the SSR, she's off trying to stop bombs from blowing up and trying to find out who exactly is framing old friends of hers. It's a rather busy life, all things considered.

It's by virtue of the fact that she doesn't wish to leave any stones unturned that she finds herself inside the movie theater. However, she finds herself second-guessing her decision when the doors close resolutely behind her, and no amount of tugging and pulling gets them to open.

And now the room is dark and a film is beginning to play, so Peggy has no choice but to take a seat. And no sooner has she done that then someone flops into the seat to her right.

"I agree, this is absurd. Locking us in here like this. What even is the point?"

Winnie | OC

[soulsrob]

learn from the mistakes of others

[She can't say she's not terribly impressed with all of this. Even if she didn't normally 'feel' things, this all great fun. How could it not be? Mysterious kidnapping, a strange machine she couldn't even begin to think of how it worked, mysterious roles and all of that...

It's nearly impossible to know that Winnie's in this same sort of situation given the fact she's beaming away as she explores the mall, seeming absolutely Delighted with the novelty of it all. She flits about from store to store, picking things up to examine and then moving onto the next thing, leaving a chaotic wake of destroyed clothing racks in her wake. She follows NPCs around corners trying to catch them in the act of disappearing like it's a game of hide and seek and seems to be having the time of her life.

Until that fog slams in and people seem to make noises about leaving. She says nothing either way about it, just watching. Though there's still a pleasant, casual sort of smile plastered to her face, her eyes are a distinct contrast, sharp and cold but watching, the way a scientist might watch some particularly interesting insects, but insects all the same.

When the first people disappear out and that piece of a body is slammed into the glass where she'd been leaning in to try and squint into the fog, she skitters backwards with a startled yelp. She stares for a long moment at the body and the bloodied spot it was at when it was dragged away, trying to figure out the most appropriate type of reaction she should be having.]

Well. That certainly happened. There's a joke in here somewhere about him being all right now, but far be it for me to say it.

[Winnie no.]

The Lovers

Motivated by love, is it... [She taps her chin thoughtfully. Well, she has the name of who she's supposed to be on the look out for, but no idea what they look like or anything.

In an attempt to make sure she doesn't forget it (she wouldn't anyhow, her memory was quite good), she's gone and written the name down on a post-it note and is currently trying to squint around and match the name to a face based on looks alone.

At length she gives up and decides to go the most direct route.] Excuse me! you there-- Yes, you! Moment of your time? [She smiles, bright and cheerful, and flounces her way over, shoving the post-it in your character's face] Might this be you?

[Please let it be them. This would be fun! Right?]

Scared Speechless

[Or maybe she gets this role instead, which is the Worst Of All Timelines. Only talking to one person? She's changed her mind entirely about this place. It's the worst.

She chews on her lip, hands on her hips as she scans the crowd, looking for someone, anyone, who might seem interesting enough to hold her attention for...however long this was supposed to last. At length she gives up and goes and...latches onto the arm of the closest player character who looks interesting enough, her smile bright]

I can't stand it anymore, I'll choose you! Goodness, it feels good to talk again. I can't stand silence, it's just so oppressive, don't you agree?

WIldcard

[Winnie can be found all over the mall, exploring and poking at things, being baffled over modern technology and convenience. She's definitely going to be running around riding the escalators a million times and being baffled by modern clothing. So come up with whatever you want or PM/hit me up at ovals if you wanna plot something specific!]

speechless

[a_shadow]

Tex is still making her way toward her assigned spot—she's unsure where the Macy's is—but she's still dressed in her navy suit and wearing her Macy's badge. She's starting to suffer those consequences because of trying to avoid going to her post, but simply the act of deciding to go to Macy's seems to have eased things a bit.

And then a woman is talking to her and Tex turns, frowning.

"Choose me for what?" she asks, confused.

Agent Texas ★ Red vs. Blue ★ OTA

[a_shadow]

the mall

The fact that she's just awakening here doesn't really concern her as much as the fact that she's shackled down. She struggles against her bonds, even while the introduction reel is running, cursing loudly, but once she realizes the importance and significance of the text running above her head, she sullenly stops. Eventually she's released and she climbs out of the machine. She's wearing a Macy's employee badge, is dressed sharply in a suit with a skirt, and she finds her hair is up in a french twist.

The fact that Tex is in a human body, rather than some kind of robot or even disembodied, is confusing enough. Why is she dressed like a store clerk, a salesperson? She decides to march toward the nearest exit of the mall and remove the badge instead of going to Macy's. But this is painfully difficult to do. She feels drawn toward the store she's been assigned to, and not going there makes her steps stutter, become halting and slow. She makes an aggravated growl and heads there in the end, figuring there will be something there that will help her figure out how to get out of this role.

But of course, no such relief is coming to her. She simply stands in the furniture department at Macy's and waits for someone to come by so she can ask them to help her.

let's bounce

After the first week, Tex finds she's able to move away from the furniture department at Macy's, and she finds herself something to wear in the other departments of the store. She feels protected by the thick sweater and leather jacket she picked out, and decides to brave the mist. She looks around after finding the discarded car keys and motions to anyone nearby.

"You want to make a break for it?"

radios

[ Once Tex realizes she's not going anywhere, she finds a CB that happened to be in the car she chose and presses the button. ]

Who else is here who doesn't belong here? I'm talking about waking up in this chickenshit town when you were definitely somewhere else before. Like, look, I can't say I'm not kind of grateful because I was about to be dead in the other place, but I don't really need to be fighting someone else's battles for them here.

wildcard

Think of some other way your character can run into Tex? Run it by me at texelations or just post it and get started!

radios

[myorders]

[ As luck would have it, Peggy has gotten her hands on a radio as well, and she's been keeping one ear open for anything of interest. Which, in this place, includes practically anything. Information is valuable, as is determining who else might be nearby, or at least within radio range. ]

Yes, hello, I don't believe I'm meant to be here either. At the very least, this is not anywhere I've seen before.

And while I might not be in your exact situation, so far as being about to die is concerned, but I have things I ought to see to back home. This is highly inconvenient, although I don't expect saying so will accomplish anything.

todoroki shouto, my hero academia, ota!!

[codominant]

awakening (MALL)

[the bowling alley is where one (1) Prince Uncharming wakes up, a collection of pixels and numbers and extravagant CSS that makes him look, think, feel, encompass Todoroki Shouto, with glaring and uncomfortable exceptions — most of which are explained away on the display screen: a laundry list of codes of conduct and expectations]

[he scoffs, rolls himself out of machine, and begins testing the validity of the claims. everything behaves normally, stretch of muscles and tug of sinew, nose ears and eyes, crack of knuckles as he flexes them, stretch and breath in a zen pose that often accompanies a training regime]

[but it still doesn't take long to notice something's amiss, stopping to stare at his right hand as there's a quiet cracckk, a layer of frost forming on his skin nigh instantaneously — ]

[and then melting away just as quickly]

[his left hand raises to join in the test, a small, glowing flame forming at the center of his palm before it, too, is snuffed out; it goes on like this for a while, his face growing more and more irritably — and yet no matter how much anger he begins to show or how he grits his teeth, nothing greater than these meager manifestations ever rises, and he tires himself out quickly]

This is hell. [well, he decided that quickly]

[might as well go on the search for some clothing that suits him better than this and get to working on this homework assignment]

supply collecting

[a button-up shirt and jeans with a nametag pinned to the breast labelled ERIC, and he thinks he's ready to test out the rules of this "role". one third of what he says shouldn't be difficult to strive for in the event that he'll aim to cover his bases from the get-go and form an interweaving story about a boy's life he's never lived]

[if the information on that screen was any indicator, they're going to be here a while. he needs to set up a safe zone, build some kind of shelter, collect supplies — do what he needs to in order to survive. the sporting goods store seems like the best place to start, finding a pocket knife and a durable tent to set up somewhere where there are walls to enclose it in. a few sleeping bags, flashlights, and assorted other camping gear later, and he'll have a home base: it all goes into a shopping cart.]

[food next. the protein bars and bottled water from the outdoors section are a great start, but he'll need more variety to keep his sanity intact, so best to check behind the counters in the food court for canned goods and the like. it's difficult when it's mostly bulk goods, but he's pulling he thinks will be useful nonetheless — and then heads to the maternity store. baby food probably isn't delicious, but it is pact with nutrients that will keep the body going.]

[eventually, he notices the added closing glass doors in a clothing store and considers the dressing rooms... before he makes his way in to begin setting up his new abode, for however long this game plays itself.]

meet & greet

[deciding he's done as well as he can for now, it's time to head back down to where people are gathering, and "Eric", with his mismatched hair and eyes scans the mall for anyone who doesn't seem to be one of the programmed regulars, gathering rather quickly from a few interactions — and how they didn't care at all when he began moving items from one place to another without paying — that they aren't real people (as "real" as anything gets nowadays, anyway).]

[the ones who are like him were probably wearing expressions he didn't sport but felt: confusion, loss, maybe some determination in the midst of it all. with a face that doesn't seem to show much emotion very often, he doesn't hesitate to introduce himself:]

Hey. You stuck here like me?

light mist exposure

The mist seems thinner right now. [whether or not the person standing beside him wanted his observation on things, they're getting it now. Todoroki's been sitting on the floor in front of the (bloodstained) glass doors to the outside world and watching the mist for a few hours now, how it ebbs and flows, thickens and thins, becomes more and less visible with its mercurial mood.]

It's clearly affecting people, but I want to know in what way and how long it takes. [brave kid... he's unsnapping a watch from his wrist, offering it out to someone standing beside him] Time me. I'm going to stand near the doors and talk my way through what I'm seeing and feeling.

[anyone got the balls to join him? two heads are better than one? no? it's fine, he'll go on his own no matter what.]

radio chatter

[enough time has passed for the walkie-talkies in the mall to be found and made useable, and Todoroki bids his time for his chance to use one. it's understandable that each person wants to seek out their loved ones and important people (or, the code of them? is that what they are now?), and he himself has full confidence in the people he seeks to have... well, survived thus far]

[so with a deep breath, he presses the speak button, voice calm and easy]

I'm looking for anyone from UA Academy in Musutafu Japan. This is Todoroki Shouto. Please respond. And if anyone else is in need of assistance, I'm a hero-in-training. Let me know what I can do to help. Over.


(notes! all the way up until the mist prompt, Todoroki will be doing the "pathological" role and thus lying about pretty much everything, right down to who he is, where he's from, and what he does — even if he runs into canonmates. CR from these prompts will be built on false pretenses, but he'll definitely clean his guilty conscience once he's been freed from the role. as far as light mist exposure, shared hallucinations can contain a variety of troubling themes such as murder/death, gore, violence, past child abuse, dehumanization, general mental unwellness, and possibly more. tread at your own risk! if you need to contact me for any reason, feel free to PM this journal or send a PP to boffola. cheers!)

meet & greet

[myorders]

Yes, it would seem so. I've had a look around and while there are doors leading to other places, none of them seem to be a way back home.

[ Peggy turns to look at him when he addresses her with a question. ]

It seems like a strange place to deposit us, but I can't help but wonder what the significance of this mall is, if there is any.

Vrenille | Guild Wars 2 (MMO OC)

[cryfrustration]

Potency Error

You know what's a great thing to do when you're trapped in a freaky mall in a foreign world that you don't understand and you can't even bloody talk about it because some weird invisible force has made some stupid rule that gives you white hot shooting pain through your skull if you try and speak to anyone besides one guy who, oh P.S. is invisible so you can't even keep track of him?

Get drunk.

Yeah, that is a great thing to do.

Hell, it may be all mist and mayhem and murder out there, but in here there's this handy dandy liquor store, with only one guy behind the counter who seems stuck on repeat anyway, so Vrenille's just going to help himself.

Thing is, the selection here is all a far cry from what he's used to. The general categories are the same, sure, but the specifics? The brands? Who the hell knows. So he wanders the aisles, picks a bottle with a good, deep, rich color in it and a nice high price tag (because you get what you don't pay for, right?) and ends up with something called Blood Oath Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Well he may not know where Kentucky is, but the name Blood Oath feels somehow appropriate. It's the melodramatic hyperbole maybe.

So he's got his bottle, and a glass, and he's sitting down here by the food court in one of these massage chairs (not switched on, mind, that's one technology leap too far) with his feet up, just drinking it neat because it's definitely shaping up to be that kinda day.

Course he can't talk to anyone, even if this (surprisingly powerful) booze might take the edge off the pain. It'll have to be a game of charades. He's probably willing to share though, so long as you're good at sussing out hand gestures.

Wildcard

[There's got to be 1001 ways for a drunk 20-something who's more used to magitech than social media to get himself into trouble in a modern day shopping mall. PM me if you'd like to plot or just throw something his way. Options 100% include clothes shopping because they don't have stores like this where he's from, also what the hell is a Dippin' Dot? I'm also totally open to more serious threat type scenarios, maybe set after day one once he's slept it off, or, y'know, during peak intoxication if you really wanna be that mean.]

I'M SORRY I AM VERY LATE

[majormalfunction]

It's on her third pass through the building that she notices the man, open bottle of liquor and all, looking like he hated the world. In that, at least, they can agree, this entire thing is so far beyond ridiculous that there isn't even a word for how ridiculous it is. At first she doesn't even bother to approach. He isn't hurting anyone and he's keeping to himself, so off she goes again.

On the fourth pass he's still there. Usually she wouldn't take an interest, but, well. To be honest, there's not much else going on if they didn't count the terrifying mist outside. Since it doesn't seem like they're going anywhere for the forseeable future, though...

Damn. Maybe she's going to have to make some new friends.

"Are you enjoying yourself?"

Hitoshi Shinso ⊗ My Hero Academia ⊗ ota hit me up

[generalstudies]

Employee of the Month (Role)

[So, your character is one of the vast majority stuck inside the mall. Despite everything being a giant simulation, basic needs still have to be taken care of. If they're not, you might appear abnormal and the bosses upstairs can't have that. So, thankfully, the food court is here, a smattering of people who seem to be nothing more than a few lines of code and some that appear very distressed.]

[And at least one who just looks very tired.]

[At the coffee shop, which is very reminiscent of a Starbucks or whatever copyright-free version exists within your character's universe, there's a sullen-looking teenage boy. He's got a wild mess of lavender hair that's sticking out in bits and places from having the uniform's green visor on. If he catches someone's eye, he bites back a sigh, like he's already figured out how this is supposed to go.]

Hey. Are you ready to order?

Closing Time (Consequences)

[By the time the mall is "closing" Hitoshi is so relieved. He never asked for a part-time job anyways and if his staring at a clock was accurate that wasn't even part-time. He'd definitely been standing there most of the day with brief fifteen minute breaks here and there to stuff a coffee shop scone in his mouth because he sure as hell didn't pack a lunch.]

[He's ready to get out of here, even if he has no idea where "out of here" is going to be.]

[There's a problem, however. He doesn't even clear sight of the cozy food court coffee shop before suddenly feeling sick to his stomach. He'd blame it on how little he ate, or maybe the world's worse case of VR jetlag, but it starts to feel like he's legitimately dying. He's stopped at a bench about fifteen feet away from where he's clearly supposed to be. He's deathly pale, sweating, and looks like no matter how he tries he can't quite get enough air into his lungs. While the mall's officially closing, it's less like people are leaving and more like they're turning around corners and blinking out of existence.]

[He doesn't expect anyone to stop for him because, really, hardly anyone had all day. Nine out of ten people were like robots or something, coming to the front of the line, ordering something, then walking away. At least it means he gets to die undisturbed. He guesses.]

Still Trapped in St*rbucks, Thanks (Mist)

[So, at some point, he figured out the way to not die was to stay in the coffee shop. How long? Who knows. Maybe forever. Either way, everything's turned off and he's stuck there and... he's starting to feel worse. Physically, he's fine, but the idea that he's well and truly trapped- not just in this coffee shop but in this simulation. He wasn't going to wake up from it. A hero wasn't going to suddenly smash through the wall and fix it. It started to feel crushing.]

[So, he grabs the walkie-talkie that he'd hear occasionally blow up with confused people. It was probably some connection to people stuck with him. So, if a character happens to be near theirs, they will hear, on the general channel:]

"Hey. Food court to... whoever's listening. How long are we going to have to do this? What sick person's actually enjoying this?" [he furrows his brow, trying to still sound half-professional in case that would be close enough to "breaking his role" and start another head-splitting migraine. As he does, he does notice something else, though.]

"... and should the fog be inside the mall?"

[It probably shouldn't. What the hell was that going to mean.]

radio

[a_shadow]

[ Tex is listening. She's recently been able to move on from her role as a star Macy's employee, and has been scrounging up everything she can to try and make an escape. She's ended up in a car in the parking lot that has a CB inside. She grabs the radio when she hears this particular voice. ]

I don't know but the whole idea that there's an 'audience' has been giving me the heebies.

[ She frowns. ]

Is the door standing open?

Bucky Barnes | MCU

[freightcars]

the mistakes of others

Stumbling out of the creation bay was an uncomfortable and unpleasant affair. He feels dizzy, feels lost, feels like his brain's stuffed with cotton and he has a hell of a time wrapping his head around what in the fuck is going on. It's a struggle to reconcile where he'd just been with where he was, and although he absorbs every single word coolly announced to him by the system he does so with muted, muffled detachment.

The clamps release and he stumbles away almost like he's having a hard time keeping his legs under him for a second. His head drops to take in- what- a fucking uniform. Blue vest, slacks, a white button down, a name badge- christ, he's even got one of those stupid visors smashing is hair down, which is... probably the stupidest and most frustrating thing about it.

Wandering out into the mall proper leads him, like so many others, toward the exit. He's one of the first to filter out the front doors because yeah, thanks but no thanks, except he barely makes it five feet out before he starts to feel the hair prickling on the back of his neck. There'd been someone to his left, he could still vaguely make out their outline, except they're screaming and he can hear the thud of them hitting the ground.

He can hear a squelching wetness, he can hear the agony of them, and he can see just beside him the body flying past to smack against the glass doors of the mall.

"...that's not good." It's all he manages to get out before a hulking shape starts to loom, and in a quick fucking second he's doubling back with a sprint to tear the doors open and hurl himself inside. "What the fuck was that?!"

employee of the month

He doesn't have long after the events at the lobby before something starts to dig at his core. No- actually, it's his one good arm they start to dig at. He gets an aching pain on his skin, the sensation of fire, an outright burning, and when he looks, thick metal scales start to form in the skin. He almost can't process what he's seeing at first, can't comprehend- no, that's the wrong arm-

It makes him short of breath, but he can feel the metal sliding into his bicep, stabbing into his muscles, changing them into-

"No, no- no-" Play your role, a soft voice whispers to him, and with sudden wide-eyed realization, he knows why this is happening.

He books it to the Dippin' Dots stand, and slowly but surely the pain fades. The imagery fades. His arm returns to normal. Oh, Christ, you have got to be kidding him?

Behold, the most Done With Your Shit mall employee to ever man a kiosk, glaring at every approaching customer, tonelessly, darkly greeting, "Welcome to Dippin' Dots may I take your order?"

mistakes

[a_shadow]

Tex awoke wearing a crisp navy-blue uniform with a pencil skirt, a Macy's employee badge, and her hair tucked into a neat french twist. The announcement on the screen when she awakes makes it clear what she's meant to do.

She wants nothing to do with it.

Once Tex arises and gathers herself, she makes her way toward the nearest exit. This whole thing is fucking bullshit and they absolutely don't have her consent in choosing her to participate.

Approaching the doors, she feels a blinding headache coming on, a weary feeling in her limbs making it hard to move. The fact that she sees Bucky suddenly running back inside from being outside startles her. His exclamation angers her. A hateful scowl takes over her expression.

"What the fuck was what?" she replies, coming alongside him to stare out through the glass.

Raven Reyes | The 100

[belligerents]

( eff this, let's bounce )

[open to multiple character threads/ threadhopping if anyone wants to get in on this.]

Look, I know what I'm doing! [She calls back into the car as she slides out of the driver's seat. You all are just lucky a mechanic happens to be stuck in the car when it stalls out in the middle of nowhere. Raven Reyes has manned escape pods bigger than this post-millenial tech. She can handle a simple car.

And the mist? Well as long as it's not actively poisoning her, she can handle that, too. It doesn't mean she isn't giving a look back and double checking that she can actually breathe in it, but they've faced worse predicaments than this.

Hopefully someone has a weapon on them.

Limping slowly, to the front of the car, she pops the hood and takes a moment to gauge what she's actually looking at. Head tilted to the side so her telltale ponytail flops over, she starts getting her hand dirty.]

Fuck, it's the battery. [She pokes her head out from the hood looking a little expectant. Yeah, she's about to send you off on a mission to get her cables or chords or any number of things so she can jump start the car and get them the hell out of there. Already she can feel something pooling at the back of her neck and her fingertips. It's not poisonous fog, but it's bad enough. She won't admit it, and she won't show fear, but they need to get out of here.]

( aggravated assault )

[Let's face it, Raven isn't the best with emotions. Anger is something she would like to think she's processed, but it's something she buries down within her, waiting for it to burst out. Letting go has never been easy. And while waking up here and trying to adjust to this place is enough of a nightmare, there are some perks.

Like the ground. It might not have been that long since she was forced back into the Ark, but even with the horrors that this place seems to be bringing (was that an actual body flung against the glass walls?), she's trying to acclimate. It isn't so easy when there's this constant need at the back of her neck.

Like she's done something, like she needs to release this anger.

He did it. You're in this because of him. She tries to crack her neck, working on securing one of the stores. If this fog is going to keep trying to roll in and the supposed employees aren't going to do anything about it, she's got to do something.

But the anger is getting worse, and cracking her knuckles isn't helping either. She's trying to set up an electric fence using the scanners set up in front of the sporting goods store, but the consequences are getting worse.

Then she sees the Nark, the person that brought all of this into fruition, and she's rounding the corner like a woman on a mission.]

What are you doing here?! [She shouts back before pushing at their shoulders. They may be unassuming, but all Raven knows is she has to do this. It's her role, and she's consumed with this festering angering.]

( radio chatterings )

[There's a click of her voice, but otherwise these aren't like any walkies she's used. It's probably the only impressing thing about the tech here.]

Status update anyone? Anyone else... alive out there? Been here for a few weeks, looking for some friends back home. We've tried to make it safe in the mall if anyone can get here.

Not sure how many groups have gone out there, yet. [Not many have come back.]

If anyone else here is from the Ark or any of the other Twelve Clans of the Coalitions, let me know? [She knows they were amassing and going in the bunker, and announcing she's from Skaikru. The Ark is enough to get the others to maybe come out from hiding.]

aggravated assault baby

[bracingly]

[ He has. No fucking clue what he's doing here. Literally not a single fucking clue, not for one singular second. His memories are disjointed and disoriented, the last thing he remembers is something about a crazy cult and trying to run a diagnostic on whatever the hell that key thing was, and-

Then he was in an MRI machine on the ground, in the p a s t? somehow, like pre-war Earth before everything went all to shit, and.

What?

If this is what the key causes it's no damn wonder people are running around like lunatics thinking they found the gateway to heaven or something. Compared to where they're from a fucking mall with a Dippin' Dots stand really is sort of ethereal. He's not buying it for a second, though, especially not when a half a corpse got chucked at them from the mists of the Great Beyond.

So he's looking for, ironically, something incredibly similar to what she's looking for when he stumbles across her. A way to make some kind of electric barrier that might prevent a breach, or that could maybe even be used as a weapon, or a way to build a signal extender for those walkie-talkies to maybe reach someone outside this small scope of land.

He's actually legitimately happy to see her despite everything, even though dimly the back of his mind mutters didn't that chick say something about an altercation? Nah, that's crazy, that's definitely not-

She shoves him. ]

What the hell, Reyes?

[ Is all he can really get out, stumbling back a couple steps, arms coming up like he's bracing for another shove. ]

Rogue | xmcu | Great Movie Of All Time

[gloves]

Rogue doesn't know what the hell this was, but once severed pieces of body hit the glass doors, she's done. She's seen weirder, been part of weirder, arguably is weirder, but she's not playing whatever fucked up game this is.

And she definitely not going to end up being recruited to go out in another group of people.

"Nope," she says to no one in particular and starts to head off through the mall. Honestly, she's looking for another way out. Maybe an exit that isn't blocked off by that thick mist that she can't see through. It would be a great time for Logan to show up.

It takes a few hours before she realizes that there isn't another safe way out. Which means that she's going to have to wait this out, which is how she ends up in a movie theater.

Spiderman. The third one. Repeated throughout each individual theater. It's arguably better than getting torn apart by whatever's in the mist out there. Until the doors lock behind her.

She immediately goes back to the doors, shoving at them, then kicking. "Hey! Anyone else in here?"

[myorders]

This is not the first time that Peggy has been forced to sit through this most ridiculous of movies. As luck would have it, she only ducked into the theater because she thought she heard something suspicious coming from inside. But in spite of her attempts to dodge right back out again, the doors shut right on her before she can even take a step.

It's only her second time, but she knows without a doubt that once was more than enough for her. She's not even bothering to keep it down, knowing there's no point in respecting the typical expectations for behavior in a theater.

She's coming down the steps from the top row of seats when she hears a voice down by the entrance. "No amount of kicking at the doors will get them to open, I'm afraid. I've tried, numerous times."

Sakata Gintoki | Gintama | OTA

[yorozuya]

(OOC Note: I will match prose or action/brackets! I usually use brackets but when I sat down and wrote this it came out prose so...)

1. Opportunists crawl out of the woodwork whenever you say “free samples.”

Fingers ghosted over his wrists as Gintoki left from his briefing. The bright lights caused a dull headache to sprout behind his eyes and his lips tugged into a pout as he exited the creation bay. He rolled his shoulders, stretching as ran through the situation at hand. They’d swept away a shounen hero and threw him into some weird Western media parade, huh? They couldn’t think of their own lovable albino samurai, so instead they just kidnapped him, was that it? Ugh. He couldn’t keep up with the Sci-Fi genre. It was always too much of a headache. That’s why nerds liked it – it was needlessly complex and if they could parse it… then it gave them something to lord over everybody! It was annoying! He was annoyed. Why couldn’t they just go for a simple plot instead of something so convoluted, damn it?! It was a headache for normal guys like him!

The annoyance bubbled over and the albino stamped his food down, letting out a growl to let off some steam. In this action, his eyes finally dragged from his own hands and looked at his surroundings for the first time. Gintoki stood to find himself in an abandoned food court. The brightly colored signs shone brightly over the spacious area. The buzzing of fluorescents met his ears…

And not another soul was around.

Instead of addressing the luminal space that had unfurled before him, Gintoki’s mind quickly focused on something else.

No one was here.

There was food here, but no one to pay for it.

Suddenly his annoyance ebbed away, and the soul of the opportunist began to stir. Within seconds, Gintoki is wandering towards the abandoned Jamba Juice and hopping over the counter. The once quiet food court is now filled with clattering as this adult man began to act like an unsupervised child.

And for a moment, the creepy briefing and the knowledge of his assigned role was completely forgotten.

~~~
Pathological

2. Sweet nothings are well and good until you need a root canal.

Your motivation is to tell lies; at least one third of what you say must be unarguable untrue.

What a pain. Lying was a pain. Playing a part was a pain. Gintoki stood in the Inside Scoop and shoveled handfuls of Jellie Bellies into his pockets as he muttered and complained about his assigned role. After he had asked a store employee about how to get some candy and was given a, “I don’t know, I just work here man” in response, the man quickly gave up on asking anyone else for help. He was old and pissed off and his blood sugar was low. He chomped down on a few jellybeans after pausing in his search.

He glanced upward to find you giving him an incredulously look. His nostrils flared before he shrugged.

“It’s self-serve. Don’t give me that look.”

3. Even when pan-handling, you should take care to wash your hands.

Being a liar wasn’t so difficult. In fact, it gave Gintoki an excuse to rummage through ridiculous clothing in the stores to play his “part.” And he’d show them, because he’d make this damn gig a side hustle to be proud of. Anything to make the creators regret picking HIM as a suitable character to bootleg.

And so as you wander through the mall, you may be approached by someone who has taken quite seriously to his role…

A) Boy in the Striped Pajamas

A man wearing blue and white striped pajamas approaches you, clutching a pillow close to his chest. He greets you with a smile before putting a hand to the side of his mouth as he begins to speak.

“Oi! I’m looking for a solid place to sleep. I got separated from my night light, and its gotta be well lit. But nottoo lit, you know?”

Even if you attempt to ignore him, he will quickly step in-front of you, blocking your trajectory or your escape.

B) English Teacher

A man with simple glasses and a white lab coat grabs you by the shoulder as you are walking by the package outlet. After he’s immobilized you, he turns and offers you a crooked smile as his red eyes peer down on you from behind his lenses.

“Ah, remember when I taught you how to read without embarrassing yourself…? Well now you can make it up to me. Isn’t that what you’ve always been looking for? A chance at redemption? Ya see I forgot my wallet, but this place is having a special on sake….”

C) Floozy

You are approached by a man wearing uneven pigtail clips and a blue cocktail dress. He’s slipping out of it in several places. His make-up is on the heavy side, and he quickly wraps his arms around one of your arms as if assumed a “trophy wife” position.

“Hey there~! You’re looking a little lonely. What a coincidence!” He giggles, throwing his voice, “I have an opening in my schedule. What about a massage? Or a drink?”

D) Defense Attorney

A man wearing glasses and a full suit all but jumps in front of you, halting you in your tracks.

“You there. I can sense it. You’re on the run, aren’t you? Looking for some sort of defense to be on your side. Luckily for you, I can offer a discount. One day only. The Mall-Stuck Discount! I’ll serve as the protector of justice for you for a mere 300 yen!”

… Nevermind that they definitely don’t use yen here. He has completely forgotten about the conversion rates.


4. Getting Old Sucks. One day you can hold your liquor and the next….

In the middle of the night, you’ll find a man shambling through the corridors of the mall – whistling to himself. Occassionally, the drunk can’t manage a whistle, so he replaces certain notes with an off-pitch hum. Initially, he’s a good distance away, but he unfortunately gets closer… and closer. Wandering from storefront to storefront – leaving his finger prints on the glass before he plucks a leaf from a fake plant near some benches…

And after he plucks this leaf he approaches you and does two things.

He grasps your hand and attempts to hand you this leaf as if he were paying you for services.

…

and then he wretches. Pukes on your shoes and perhaps even your shirt or pants if you were incredibly unlucky. The action lasts a life time. His shoulders shake. He sniffles pathetically…

Before he dares to make eye-contact with you.

“… The drinks ‘ere….. they’re a little….. somethin’. Y’know? Did you…. Did ya notice?”

2

[oflongago]

Of all the people to decide to talk to him, it was this glutton. Mithos had been trying to keep a low profile; between the foreboding message that his goal was to survive and the rapid realization that most of his strength was entirely gone...it would be idiotic to just move about freely. Even more so when his supposed role to play’s motivation was to turn a new leaf. Not knowing what would happen if he didn’t play his role wasn’t something he wanted to test just yet (maybe when that altercation happens—but that was getting ahead of himself).

If he wanted to look at it another way, playing out his role gave him a template for how to act until everything came together. If he was a former criminal who wanted to change, then he should surely say something about what was going on, shouldn’t he?

“Don’t you usually need to pay before eating even if it is a self-service store?” he asked in a...very lukewarm tone. “The workers here will have to pay if their boss finds out they’re letting someone steal.”

Beth Greene | The Walking Dead

[uncrying]

( pathological )

[She still feels like she can hear the whirring from when she woke up, though the memory is a little fuzzy. There isn't much of an explanation, but Beth is used to being uprooted and doing what she needs to survive. The first day goes by pretty standard, a lot of confusion-- but the biggest thing was trying to navigate this new place and meet new people without the ability to tell the truth.

It started simple. Someone asked her name, and 'Maggie' just came out instead. She starts to find a new group though it's hard to trust anyone here. Maybe that's where this need comes from, trying to work out the people that are just like her-- transplanted or 'printed'.

Even after the first fog rolls in, she proves her worth pretty quickly. At least the sports good store means there's enough things to actually to defend themselves, and Beth isn't afraid to do what needs to be done to survive. Eventually it slows down, and it's time to regroup. Exhaling she leans back as someone joins her on one of the couches.

It's not that she doesn't want to learn about anyone or get close, she just can't not lie. So she just gives them an awkward nod.]

( radio chatter )

This is Beth Greene, checking in. [And then a sigh, trying to destress from everything that's happened since her arrival.]

I wouldn't say I'm used to this, but back home, we've got our own walkers crawlin' outta the fog. [She knows enough about not showing her own hand, knows what can happen, but she needs to know the resources they have out there. Not that people will just give them up, but she's got to believe there's other good people out there, just trying to survive like she is.]

Mall ain't exactly safe, but some of us are makin' it work. Any other camps out there? Anyone else stuck out there? [She doesn't know how likely it is to go on any rescue missions, but she has to ask.]

radio

[myorders]

Hello, Miss Greene, can you hear me?

[ She believes the connection to be steady, at least for the moment, so she continues: ]

I wouldn't say I'm stuck, exactly, or in trouble, but I figure the more information we can share, the better. I'm not certain how many people are around, you see.

[ A pause while she looks around, to get a better idea of her surroundings. ]

I seem to be in a library, of all places. This room, at least, appears to be safe enough for now. I can't say anything yet about the rest of the building.

Midoriya Izuku | Boku no Hero Academia | OTA

[mightyboy]

1. Employee of the Month

[Something wasn't right.

Which could be said about a lot of things right now. Waking up in a strange mall surrounded by a thick mist was a concern—and the fact that he could no longer feel One For All burning in his veins was another, leaving him feeling more disconnected than ever, even after growing up quirkless.

As upsetting as all that and more was, there was something a little more pressing on his mind—mostly the fact that he couldn't seem to leave this particular kiosk.

The voice told him when he came to in this place that he had a job here in this mall, so Izuku had sought it out hoping to find some clues. Maybe there would be someone there who could tell him more about this place, or the mist that was outside—or really, anything useful he could take going forward.

Instead he found himself alone at a small pop-up store in the middle of the mall—a kiosk with the words Fresh Pressed Hair Boutique printed in curved script on the top. There were a dozen medal rods and things that he recognized as hair straighteners lining the counter, as well as a cascading display of hair hanging from the shelves in the center. Other than that and the cash register, Izuku was completely alone.

There were obviously no leads here, so it would be better to investigate elsewhere right?

Izuku had taken five steps away from the kiosk when he discovered his problem.

Within the first five steps, something felt off. It was a minor twinge in his right hand—painful, but not too unusual. The bones had been shattered enough, so aches and pains in those crooked fingers weren't unheard of. He hissed between his teeth, stopping to massage the phantom pain before continuing on.

Another five steps or so brought more pain, this time shooting up his arm. He tried to shake out this pain as well, but it persisted, throbbing deep in his bones.

It was when after another few steps that a distinctive crack was heard and felt that Izuku stopped in his tracks. He hadn't done anything—One For All wasn't responding to him, and no one was around—so why was his pinky finger purple and bruised?

Izuku went back to the booth to sit down and recuperate, testing out his injury. He could move his finger fine, so it didn't seem like it was broken...but the bruising still persisted. Why?

After a bit of muttering, he worked up a hypothesis. For a while he can be seen circling the kiosk, hissing out in pain when he wanders too far before going back to jot notes down on some receipt paper.

He needs to figure out how far he can go without pain, how far he can go with minimal pain, and how far before the pain becomes more damaging—and from there, make a plan of attack. Being stuck in the middle of the mall was less than optional, so gaining more information from his position was all he could hope to do for now. As soon as someone passes, Izuku does his best to wave them down with a--]

Excuse me? Do you have a moment?

2. Learn From the Mistakes of Others

[It had been a while since Izuku had felt so helpless.

The first time he had seen a glimpse of what happened outside of the mall—the body flung against the glass as if it weighed nothing, sliced clean through as if it was made of paper, and the screams that followed—

He tried to block the image from his mind. A hero in training he might be, but none of his training thus far had prepared him for something so gruesome. It was needless violence, needless death—and the worst part was Izuku couldn't do anything about it, or do anything to stop it.

Part of him wanted to rush into the mist, to bring back any others that might have tried to venture out—but he didn't know what he was up against. He had no quirk to rely on, no allies...but he couldn't just leave those people out there to suffer the same fate!

Izuku needed a plan if he wanted this to succeed. Rushing in would just be certain death, as much as it pained him to admit. For now he sits in front of the doors with a mall directory in hand, drawing notes in the margins of what could be useful at the various stores. At least if he was by the doors, he had a chance of stopping more people before they ventured outside...or maybe he could find someone willing to bounce ideas with him.]

3. Wildcard

[None of my ideas for Midoriya are set in stone, so feel free to come at me with anything else you might want to play! He will be in the mall trying to help others for the most part if not taking the first option! Switching to prose is also acceptable!]

Employee!

[flowerclip]

[She isn't aware of the roles and stuff, so Petunia doesn't know to count herself lucky that she can wander as freely as she can. She's spent the first like, hour, having a panic attack and slowly grown to accept that this... Whatever this was was definitely happening. She didn't understand why or how, or why her, but here she was.

Everything's sliiightly more advanced than she's used to, just off enough to make her boggle. She's so lost in her thoughts that at first she doesn't respond when Izuku calls out to her, making her jump in alarm when she realizes.]

I, um! [she waves her hands, wide-eyed and looking a little panicked at being suddenly addressed] I'm not interested in buying anything, sorry!

Chris Beck ⚕ The Martian ⚕ Open

[apollogized]

⚕ robin sparkles wouldn't stand for this shit

[ There are numerous biological factors that contribute to the creation of hallucinations. Extreme mental or physical stress. Drugs. Illness. Various types of dementia. The list was, literally, never ending. As he'd been laying there, pristine white lights blinding him, he'd completed a work up from head to toe. There was nothing glaringly obvious that was wrong with him. He was sluggish, maybe a sedative. He was pinned down which suggested organic action.

A female voice tells him he's thirty years in the past, in a little town in Maine and he circles back around to drugs. It's all extremely real but he knows that hallucinations can feel real. Sight, smell, touch. The mind is complicated. It plays tricks. He comes to the mall first, in his exploration of Bridgton.

He considers leaving again, looking for the hospital, when a couple people beat him to it. Unfortunately, they're well not very fortunate. Chris won't risk death by basing his choices on the premise that he's hallucinating, so he stays inside, and begins gathering supplies. The staff don't respond to much and is strange as that is, he ignores it for now. Anyone nearby, he'll gesture to. ]

Feels like we should pack up and hunker down somewhere. Wanna help?

[ Or are they another of the affected people he's found around. ]

⚕ the lovers

[ He's been assigned a role. Protect his partner.

Congratulations, participant! You will be playing one half of a partnership role! Please seek out (character 2). Your motivation this round is love, and the need to protect your partner from threats both inside and outside of the mall. Your objectives is to greet your lover with a kiss and place them above all others. Do not act like strangers.

The consequences seem pretty steep so he plays it safe, again. His risks are calculated. When he sees them he extends a hand and offers a warm, albeit strained smile. ]

Come on, sweetheart. We need to get somewhere safe.

[ Wonderful, he always wanted to be an actor. ]

⚕ wildcard

[ Chris will be available for any of the other roles or prompts. I can write up a starter if someone wants one or tag your top-level if you have a prompt you think would work for us. Just let me know! ]

⚕ ooc

[ Contact me on discord @ commontypes#9719 if you have questions or want to plot. I am open to all kinds of characters, no medium preferences. ]

Did someone say something about flirting? AKA the lovers

[myorders]

Did you just call me sweetheart?

[ If ever she wanted to roll her eyes, it was now. Whatever he was playing at, it was hardly amusing to her. ]

Let me guess, you were put up to this, weren't you? And I'm meant to play the damsel in distress.

[ She eyes his hand warily, but she slowly takes it and gives it a shake before promptly letting go. ]

What's your name?

Petunia | Todd Allison & The Petunia Violet

[flowerclip]

A- Arrival

[Yeah, Petunia doesn't do the whole "blending in" thing very well at the beginning here. Once she's free she tears off through the mall, running at full-tilt all around trying to figure out where she is. America? Everyone has American accents, making her strong Australian one stick out like a sore thumb. Everything looks a little more advanced than she's used to.

Was it real? It can't be real. She brings her hand up and slaps her face as hard as she can, before doing the same to the other cheek.] Yeouch! [She claps her hands over her stinging face and crouches down in the middle of the mall, head tucked down low as she struggles to just breathe.]

That hurt, that actually hurt! How did I-- Where do I-- This can't be real! [She didn't want to accept it, her eyes full of tears as she sniffles and tries to get ahold of herself. Having a breakdown is embarrassing enough, but one in public? Perish the thought.]

B- Exploring the Mall

[Once she's calmed down, the mall is rather fascinating. She meanders in and out of stores, looking surprised and a little delighted by all the different things.]

This isn't so bad, I guess... [if they're stuck in a weird place like this, at least it's a nice place? If a bit weird, since no one seems keen to actually talk to her or acknowledge her at all.

But eventually she gets hungry and wanders to the food court, looking around at all the different food offerings. Her stomach growls loudly and she starts patting at her skirt, pulling out the pockets to find them.. Empty. Distressingly empty. The smile drops instantly from her face.]

How am I going to get money...? [She trails off, turning a depressingly longing look at the different stores]

C- Learn from the mistakes of others

[Standing near the glass was a mistake. She screams, one high, long note and flings herself backwards, tripping over herself and landing hard on the ground. She scrambles away, curling her knees to her chest and tries to focus on not hyperventilating. There's another strangled noise as the body is dragged away and she looks around, eyes wide and wild with alarm.]

What-- What was--!? What do we do!? We have to help-- [She cuts herself up abruptly, because even in her panicking she realizes there's nothing they could possibly do to help this situation.]

A-are we going to die here? A... A gun... We need w-weapons... [She can shoot a gun. She's killed before. But this was on a totally different level.]

A

[myorders]

[ Here's someone who doesn't have an American accent. She's quite concerned about Petunia as well. ]

Please, calm down. [ She tries to keep her tone light and reassuring. ] Are you hurt? Would you like me to take a look?

[ She isn't a doctor, but she can at least assess for any signs of injury. ]

Han Solo | Star Wars

[shipyards]

learn from the mistakes of others

[This planet or wherever it is he's landed may be nicer than the planet he's come from, but on the whole, he can't do anything here. He has no use for a mall, and he can actually feel the walls caving in around him the longer he stays here.

He's one of the first to suggest trying to go out there, but he's also not a fan of going into the unknown without anything to protect himself. Han might be reckless, but he's not dumb. He mans a small group looking for anything they can swing, anything with fire power, or if they have to resort to something hand made, he's going to need something combustible (and he's really hoping for an engineer here).

He's rummaging through one the stores, trying to decide if he should take a part a rack of clothes to use the metal when someone runs back to him.

'A body hit the window!'

What? He stands from his position and follows them back to the front of the store where the fog has gotten decidedly thicker. Sure enough there's a trail of blood and mess up on the glass exterior wall. Han was a part of the Imperial Army on active combat duty, so the sight doesn't have him outwardly reacting, but kriff, that's one way to go. He's about to swing the door open himself to see if the body was Jim or Tim or whatever his name was when slowly something drags the decimated body back. He takes two steps back quickly.]

Get away from the windows. We need to secure the doors. No one goes out until he know what's out there and have something to fire back at that thing. [Han barks orders out, already starting to move the tables from the food court to block the doorway in case anything decides it wants to make its way in.]

radio chatterings

[Awkward clearing of his throat, just to check if this thing is working.]

This is Han Solo checking in. [At this stage in his life, he isn't expecting anyone to actually know him. Maybe Qi'ra is out there. If he's lucky, but even then what would he say to her? Here of all places.

Instead it's more like an intro, just announcing himself to those out there, a voice out in the void for anyone else that's like him.]

I don't know what happened to my ship, the Millennium Falcon. [Because it is his now, Lando. Wherever you are.] She's a YT-1300 light freighter that could get us outta here if I had her. Not sure where they'd put a ship, but if someone sees her, I'd be grateful if you told me where.

[And that's all he's really looking for before finally adding,] There might be a Wookie in it. I'm looking for him, too.

[Where the hell are you, Chewy?]




ooc: completely open. canon from the solo film, but eu characters loved for confusion. also film characters who know his older self (looking at you leia) also loved. but completely open lets do space horror

radio

[a_shadow]

This is Freelancer Tex. What kind of ship are you talking about?

...And what's a wookiee?

Pearl | Steven Universe | OTA

[singingwhilecrying]

(( OOC Notes: I can match prose or brackets, I just usually default to prose! Any questions or plotting can be directed to me at Plurk at Terepy ))

_{(Library Start)}
1. Knowledge is Power!

Pearl always had a theatrical side. In fact, she downright prided herself on her ability to appreciate and recreate all manners of fine arts from precise dances to tear-jerking stage plays. Though her artful appreciation had its limits. Namely, when she was expected to play a role after a confusing awakening in an unknown land ruled over by some shadowy cabal which seemed, to her suspicion, neither gem nor human. Were this any other situation, perhaps she would be one to leap up and fight her way through the constructs, figuring out what was at the core of this charade. As rebellious as she might have been, however, she knew to survive. When strict punishments were promised for not playing her part, when no signs of support from her fellow Crystal Gems made themselves apparent, when seemingly all her powers were reduced to fizzles and failed conjurations, she knew not to risk retaliation. She could not even conjure a weapon, and she certainly did not want to test the durability of her physical form in such unknown times. Perhaps this was where her background came in handy. As much as it pained her, and as servile as it was, she knew the game well. Play her role; stay alive. Simple enough.

The only point which worried her was the cyptic promise she received in that odd, otherworldly briefing. What did they call her again? NARK? All she knew was she had reason to fear some name she had certainly never heard before. A criminal, like she was, apparently. One who was most assuredly not happy with her decision to live a happy domestic life. How familiar! Sure, it was terrifying what her instructions entailed: Survive the Altercation. It was quaint, simple, and crystal-clear. But it didn't make her any less on edge. How was she even to recognize her former partner in crime? Hopefully, if she was lucky, they would be so unfamiliar as to simply... never find her, either. Wouldn't that be nice!

Though she would be lying if she didn't think it was kind of fun to think about. It really was like some overly cheesy play. And maybe she was a little overconfident in her survivability and track record. Whatever danger may come, all she knew was that there would be enough drama and fighting to at least break the monotony of this misty, miserable little place. A library. But not exactly a good one. Just some little dingy, rustic refuge for abandoned books. No fascinating tomes for her to bury her nose in, no information which she could call exactly 'new' in the limited minds of the American public educational sphere. But she entertained herself now and then reading about some fringe, absurd interest. Like human medicine, or biology, or philosophy! Oh, those were always so fun! The threads people weave to justify things so many magnitudes larger than them were almost charming!

Pearl could be found in multiple places during the library. She frequented quite a few in particular. Normally, she would wander the stacks, alternating between picking a few books off the shelves to sate her curiosity as she waited out her sentence here. Other times, she might be doing the opposite, picking any books which may have misplaced themselves from any given spot in the library, and busy herself organizing each and every one to the exact letter of that unfortunately-named Dewey system. Were she to run out of books, perhaps she would wander around straightening and cleaning whatever else might have found itself misplaced. It certainly didn't matter if there was someone else near the mess. She would simply maneuver through them, with a small push and a kind "Excuse me," or a dismissive wave before courteously organizing the stranger's personal space, all while looking so pleased and content with herself.

Perhaps she would be found at the small maintenance closet, picking out any helpful tools with audible hums, scheming up something to construct herself a way out with any spare parts she could find. And lastly, she might stare out the window, watching the mist whenever it looked at its deepest, finally cracking her content and calm facade as her brow furrowed and her hand rested lightly on the glass. Was it safe to leave? Would it ever be?

_{(radio chatter)}
2. First Contact

"-One, two, three. Test. Can anyone read me, over?" Pearl was quick to find the walkie-talkie in the library proper, but she had no clue to whom the device was set for communication. But her persistence knew few bounds. Between trips around the library, she sat at the circulation desk in entrance of the building, running routine checks across the first channel, then any other channel she had the patience to cycle through. Always repeating those first, official words. Nothing more, nothing less. At least, not until she got a response.

As time went on, her voice got more exasperated with each passing check. "... One, two, three. Test. Is there anyone out there, over?" But as tired as she was, she still was overly respectful, keeping quiet for the library and all the inhabitants which shared the space with her. Her voice remained near a whisper no matter how desperate her checks might become. Courtesy comes first, after all!

_{(eff this, let's bounce)}
3. Let Me Drive My Van Into Your Heart

Time could wear down on anyone, and interdimensional magical aliens were no different. While the everlasting mist was intimidating and certainly too alarming for Pearl to just wander out, she kept a close eye on it. The moment this inclement weather passed, she would be quick to rush out and find some sort of life past this confining library. As much as she loved cleaning and organizing, there was only so much one person could take!

As it turns out, such a stroke of luck does happen. The mist rose enough for visibility to drastically improve. Not nearly enough to be classified as 'good', of course, but enough to at least watch for danger or signs of life in this strange location. Her first target was the parking lot; sure it seemed empty, but who knew what might be hidden in this fog?

Minutes after her departure, Pearl came rushing back to the door, throwing open the entrance of the library with an excited, giddy laugh. "Guess what I fooouuund!" She chimed with excitement that could rival the morning of a human holiday. In her hand, she dangled a pair of discarded keys, jingling them to sound out through the library before she immediately remembered where she was. "Oop, sorry." Her hand slapped over her mouth, voice slipping down to a whisper as she stopped motion in the metallic jangling. In a voice which held the raspy quality of a whisper, paired with the volume to carry across a decent portion of the library, she called to her fellow library-mates. "Who wants to get out of here? I'll drive!"

_{(Snuff the Rooster)}
4. Let's Just Talk This Out!

After getting to the mall, Pearl at least had plenty to explore, but a distinct lack of answers. The mall offered so much more in terms of walking space, privacy, mindless entertainment, and company, but nothing pointing to why she was here, or what that cryptic role of hers really meant. Maybe the lack of population at the library was enough to keep her mind off the idea of being hunted down by an angry ex-partner in crime, but now that the world quite vastly opened up to a full cast of characters with... certainly explosive personalities, she felt a creeping worry at meeting any sort of wandering person. This, compounded with her existent distrust of humans in general meant she was a jumpy customer at best and a condescending, distrustful prick at worst.

Given that she still had not lost her gem biology (Thank the stars. She would simply die if she had to eat!), she could often be found wandering the mall in the dead of night, when most people should be asleep and most stores had their doors firmly shut. Her exploration involved checking each and every window, staring out into the fog yet again, and trying to glean answers of where she was from any directories, informational panels, or passerby.

But it was also nighttime when she was most jumpy. She tried to keep to places where there were at least a few other people, sleeping or otherwise, to ensure she wouldn't be jumped at alone by whatever poor soul she apparently wronged in a prior life. As she walked around the corner of some intersection of stores between an Eternally 21 and a Cold Topic, she nearly collided headfirst into a random passerby. Quick on her feet, she leaped back with an unnecessary amount of drama, lifting her hands like some stereotypical martial artist ready to pounce, complete even with "Hooah!" noises. What an embarrassment. "Who goes there!? Trying to ambush--!?" Oh. It's just another person, obviously. Pearl's hands lower and an awkward grimace pulled on her face. "Ahem. Do watch where you're going. Someone could have gotten hurt!"

4

[shikomizue]

[Before anything else, a plume of smoke drifts between them. Obscuring the view, the vapor dissipates slowly, leaving only a sickly sweet scent and the grim reminder of the mist that traps them all.

Without his pipe, Takasugi sought out alternate means of smoking. Something electronic doesn't suit him, but it's a last resort. That bastard's vaping.]

Don't tell me. You think we're more dangerous to each other than that thing out there-

[An Amanto, worrying about running into the wrong person down a darkened hallway.

Not entirely unfounded, given who she'd collided with.]

Shinichi Izumi / Parasyte: The Maxim / OTA

[kiseijuu]

( 1. SURVIVING )

[ “Your objective for this round is simple: survive.”

The words echo in Shinichi Izumi's head as he looks around the eerily vacant mall. At first, the boy has thought this all must be some sort of bizarre dream, and he's been rather hazily walking around after waking in a..sports store. Fortunately (perhaps?), he comes equipped with a literal voice of cool and logical reason, its tone ironically similar to the voice that spoke to him upon awakening -- soft, formal, and polite -- yet robotic underneath, an unnerving reminder that whatever is speaking is surely not human. ]

We should keep moving.

[ The voice comes from his own right hand, which the young male holds up close to his face for a moment, watching. No, what is speaking is absolutely not human -- there's a single round eye blinking at him from his palm, and a pair of lips, which seamlessly melt back into his flesh whenever the bizarre creature they belong to is silent -- which is most of the time.

One would think that after having had your right hand invaded by a parasitic alien species, a person would have enough oddness to deal with for a lifetime. Apparently not.

No, not even Migi -- the name of said parasite, can grasp what's going on. In fact, the creature finds itself utterly helpless, reduced to its most natural state, which is the existence as the boy's right hand. Migi is unable to transform himself beyond that, and is contained to the movements and strength of any normal hand. Compared to his usual state, the parasite is in essence a simple observer now, fingers twitching restless and spiderlike, disliking this limited capacity to examine his surroundings from a single, stationary eye.

And what this odd duo have observed thusfar is...inexplainable. People who seem like people at first, but who clearly have something very wrong with them. Neither of them understand, and so they're wandering around the mall, for what else is there to do but keep walking...? ]

a ➛ lost:
[ There's a tall, dark-haired young man keeping close to the walls as if that is somehow safer. On first impression, he seems quite average, easily glanced over really, perhaps the bookish type. But his jumpiness makes him stand out, the way he keeps glancing over his shoulder or freezing randomly whenever he happens to hear any slight sound. He's adamantly evading any stray figure that he may encounter, and he doesn't yet realise that there are some people in this place who are in the same boat as he is. You'll spot him wandering around like this, his behaviour certainly not as inconspicuous as he hopes with his brown eyes held frightened and wide, occasionally lifting his hand to murmur under his breath, seemingly to himself. He doesn't seem to know where to go, aimlessly walking around various stores in search of.. what, exactly? The voice said survive, and at least he's doing that much. For now. ]

b ➛ impact:
[ Both Shinichi and Migi assume that the parasite will be able to sense any truly living being in sight. They don't realise that whatever has numbed Migi into this state has also removed his ability to sense the presence of other organic beings.

The result: Shinichi's not paying attention to where he's going as he stares down at his own palm, and Migi isn't able to warn him that someone is right around the corner. There's a collision, the force of which depends upon the other person's walking speed, as Shinichi himself is moving quite slowly. No matter how it is, he'll be starting in fright, jerking back for a moment. Migi instinctively will hide himself away to avoid being spotted, eye vanishing into the boy's palm, leaving the other half of the crash face-to-face with a bewildered, bespectacled teenager. ]

I'm so sorry, are you all right?! [ Despite everything, Shinichi's naturally kind and caring personality comes through in that abrupt moment, and he's reaching to help the other person, whether it's physically up from the ground or simply to steady them with his hands. ]

c ➛ for science:
[ As baffling as this situation is, the alien that inhabits Shinichi's hand is admittedly curious. After all, what fuels him is observation and analyses of situations -- both for the sake of survival, and as a means simply to feed his thirst for knowledge. After wandering for a bit, they do take notice that some people seem to be... different. In a normal way. While Shinichi's afraid to approach anyone directly right now, Migi coaxes him to follow you -- for observation's sake, to try and gather some details. From what is deemed a safe distance, the young man is creeping along behind you, perhaps through a store or simply through the halls of the mall, ducking behind large potted plants or random stands with no one manning them.

Perhaps your own observation skills are quite keen and you've already taken notice. Of course, Shinichi is certainly not the most stealthy of fellows, and it's also feasible his shoe may squeak against the floor or he may bump into something -- freezing at once if so, a hand clasped to his mouth to still his breathing -- to try and convince you there's nothing there, keep walking forwards. ]


( 2. THE MISTAKES OF OTHERS )

[ Shinichi has cautiously followed a pair to those front doors, keeping some distance, only to make his way forwards, pressing his hands against the glass to watch the bodies disappear beyond them. That...fog. What...? He's squinting his eyes, nearly having reached the decision to slip out of the doors himself and try to find his way home, when something is lodged his way, striking the door with a sickening thud.

It takes him too long to realise what it is. He's remaining standing by the doors, just staring down to the bloody object for a painfully long moment, when the details all combine, its origin suddenly hits him, and he finds he can't breathe well.

Back home, he's certainly seen his share of nightmares. Things that could perhaps be considered comparable to this -- if various types of slaughter and bodies breaking, twisting, slicing into impossible shapes are things that could, should, be compared to one another. He himself could be considered a monstrosity by some -- but this is... He feels sick from it all; he's slipping slowly down onto his knees, dizzy. It's too much, and he tugs at his collar with a hand, glasses tumbling to the floor. Something -- could it be Migi? or is someone else there? -- is telling him to Get away from the door, but he can't seem to move from the shock of it all. Migi can't force his host to do anything in his severely weakened state, not even protect him. And on his own, Shinichi's just a seventeen-year-old high schooler who can't easily handle this. ]


OOC NOTES
[ I can easily switch to prose and will generally just match whatever style you write in. PM me here or hit me up at sweatervest if you'd like to plot / discuss anything! :)

I've checked with the mods about how to handle Migi, but if there are any questions about him, feel free to let me know. Basically he's reduced to his natural state as a sentient right hand, who can't do anything remotely antagonistic (apart from like.. biting or pinching I guess, ffff-) but he'll initially mostly be keeping quiet around other people. ]

1b

[codominant]

[the fellow teenager that Izumi bumps into is his polar opposite in terms of appearance: attention-striking and loud, two tones of hair in crimson and white and heterochromic eyes sporting a scar beneath one — and more than that, where he is fretful, Todoroki seems unbothered, only looking back almost blankly in return]

Aa. [a dismissive grunt, brushing off the apology, the bump nothing more than a mild break of his personal bubble — not from lack of speed, but rather because Izumi's victim seems far sturdier than he looks given his youth, loose clothing hiding a bulk of muscle]

[there's a beat where he seems to visibly weigh his options — continue on neutrally or engage — before he finally asks:]

Were you talking to someone just a second ago?

[he looks... alone]

Kojuro Katakura | Sengoku Basara

[righteyed]

A - Learning the hard way etc etc

[Kojuro can adapt well, it turns out. It had been terrifying to wake up like that, sure. Obedience and survival are things he's profusely used to dealing with, however, and so he's settled into the idea of playing along (especially once he realises that his lord is here, and his motivation to survive and keep things easy for them both skyrockets).

I mean, being completely invisible and rendered mute makes it difficult to make new friends, but his diplomacy can wait if it must. He's too busy watching and waiting for the results of the first adventurers outside, trying to figure out some way to get outside just in case. And then that half comes back, only to be snatched up long enough for him to see that they're not dealing with regular animals or human enemies.

The mall is looking appealing with its shelter and food and water. He doesn't even bother trying to talk to anyone he doesn't have to, so the only sign he's even around?

Various light pieces of mall furniture floating through the air and towards the doors, or a faint, light grunt if he's bumped into. ...He might talk if given a good enough reason, but right now he's quite content to play ghost and build that barricade up.]

B - Curiosity and cats or something?

[Okay, so it's been a few hours. He's doing okay with the ghost stuff, but...

He's also wondering just how hard they can punish him for talking to someone who isn't Masamune.

In between trying to map out the mall and take stock of everything in silence, he's just going to quietly approach someone out of the blue, delicately tap a hand against their shoulder, and try this talking thing. Really test out his limits and shit, y'know?] Hey, I'm not visible right now. You haven't heard of anyone else with the same problem, have you?

B

[cryfrustration]

[Now here's what you call ironic: approaching a guy with that question who's probably one of the few people around that has seen (well, okay, not seen because, y'know...but encountered) someone else with precisely the same problem...only this guy, like you, can't tell you about it because he's also got to stay mute (except for being able to talk to that one other guy who no one can see, but that doesn't help because he's not here right now; in fact, Vrenille's pretty sure he ran out there into the mist, so he might actually be dead at the moment, which, P.S. evidently does not mean that he gets to pick somebody else to talk to instead, and frankly he thinks that's a pretty stupid rule.)

Anyway, add into the mix that he's now been drinking for quite a while, and even if he has been drinking slow, it feels like he's been drinking fast. He's made only a small dent in the bottle that he's holding by the neck, but by the way he's feeling, he might as well have downed half of it already. And then he decided to go do some window shopping because, hell, there's all kinds of crap in this place that he's never seen before, and that seems like a lark.

So he's examining a shop window when that disembodied tap on his shoulder comes, and he can already see in the glass reflection that there's no one behind him. Which means he wheels round in shock, loses his balance (not all that steady to begin with), and falls back against the glass with a solid thud that turns into the long slow squeak of him sliding the rest of the way down it until he lands, legs spread in a V, with his ass on the floor.

The amber liquid in his bottle of whiskey sloshes. The bottle, however, is intact. (Priorities.) And Vrenille is very wide-eyed like someone just went and slapped him awake or threw a bucket of cold water on him to try and sober him up. (He's not really sobered up.) He's gonna need a moment before his brain catches up to the actual question though, sorry.]