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

lovers

[kiseijuu]

[ That... that is her. There's no mistaking. But how can he possibly just approach a stranger, kiss her, and play the role of her lover? Shinichi's hesitating, but not for long. He's already felt the repercussion of disobedience, when he'd tried to simply leave the mall earlier. It hadn't taken him long to figure out that this "role" he had been assigned... must be carried out in order to stop the pains that flared up. It was as though he was kept on some leash, tethered to the source of this "role".

Which happened to be the young-looking girl standing not too far from where he was watching her from around a corner. Shinichi takes a deep breath to steady himself, then approaches her. He's looking as nervous as he feels, fumbling as he comes to stand beside her. They aren't allowed to act like strangers, so he puts on a somewhat shaky smile at her question. ]

H-hello. I'm.. glad to see you.

[ That sounds so fake. He swallows, afraid for what might happen, but thankfully the girl is taking initiative. The extended hand, however, gives him pause. He can't recall the last time he took someone's hand willingly... but he has no choice. He slowly slips his right hand into the girl's, with blatant apprehension.

Too blatant, it seems. Or perhaps whatever's...watching? is displeased that they haven't kissed yet. Who knows. All he can concentrate on is the twisting feeling that curls in his stomach, as if something is alive and beginning to stir inside of him. His face contorts in mild discomfort, his free hand moving to clench his abdomen while his right grips her hand harder, giving her a firm tug towards himself. ]

Ah-- we haven't seen each other in awhile. Let me have a hug, first? I've missed you.

[paenumbra]

Matt could always count on Simon to remind him of what really mattered. It wasnt massage chairs or fruit smoothies. It was figuring out if they had been cursed to a different reality. Oddly enough, it wouldn't be the first time.

Matt shrugged. "I didn't detect any particularly witchy vibes, but I suppose we shouldn't rule it out. Why would a witch want to curse us back in time to 2007, is the bigger question. It isn't my favorite year. 2015 - now that's a year I can relive. A lot of good memories that year."

The massage chair ceased its vibrations. Matt reached into his pockets and was disappointed to find he was lacking quarters for another round. "I dont suppose you could spot me two bucks for another go."

[lightsped]

I followed the group on my end as well. Some weapons had been found before we left... Not everyone made it back.

[ She sighs and presses her fingers to her forehead. ] I assume there are other groups near different exits that have done the same. Other trips outside that have failed.

[cryfrustration]

Yeah, it ain't half bad. Pull yourself up a glass.

That's what he would say if he could talk right now, and maybe his expression manages to convey the first part. As for the second...

Not far from his chosen bay of massage chairs, amidst the rest of the food court eateries, is the local Jamba Juice. Now he may not know what the hell a Jamba is, but the juice part is clear enough, which would seem to imply that they should have some glasses somewhere.

So, he makes a series of hand gestures pointing, in this order,
to her
to the juice shop
to his glass
to his bottle of booze.

Look, he's not stingy. He'll share. There's a whole liquor store full of drink to try once this bottle's done. Plenty to go around. She just has to decipher the message first--not that he's tried to make it hard or anything. It's not like it's a riddle.

Amilyn Holdo | Star Wars

[lightsped]

a; learn from the mistakes of others

[ Several people were calling for an expedition. It's not a smart move, not by a long shot. No one in this building, the people who actually hold a conversation more than the same recycled 10 lines, has any clue what's out there. It's safer to assess the situation and plan accordingly.

But they're leaving whether she agrees or not- and she can better protect those who can't protect themselves if she joins them. So, though she has little authority here, she's grabbing one of the guns they've managed to pool together and is joining them when the fog isn't quite as thick. ]

Stay alert, there's no telling what's hiding out there.


b; the lovers

[ The expedition had been a mistake for her first choice of how to handle her time here, but to be perfectly realistic? The thought of playing some silly role when there was much worse at stake had her mentally rolling her eyes.

But after returning, she was beginning to feel the side effects threatened. Her head is throbbing and it's only by some miracle that she's able to find the person as instructed. She reaches out to them, taking their wrist gently in her hand. ]

Thank the stars you're alright, I don't know what I'd do if I lost you.


c; radio chatter

[ The technology is outdated, but the idea is all the same. As soon as she can get the walkie talkie to work, she's on it.] This is Amilyn Holdo. If anyone is out there and needs help, myself and several others are in the mall. I may be able to send an expedition team your way.

[ She takes a deep breath and sighs before speaking up again. ] That being said, anyone in the mall willing to help form rescue teams for those in need of help, I'd like to help coordinate.

Please stay safe, everyone.


d; wildcard

[ have an idea? come at me. PM me with any questions or if you wanna hash things out first. :D ]

[relieable]

[Osomatsu blinks at the question, stares at the walkie-talkie for a moment, unsure of how to answer that]

I mean, I'd rather be home than here right now, but I'm okay, I guess.

[relieable]

H-Huh? [Osomatsu takes his foot off the gas and gives Peggy a startled look] I-I mean...! Of course I have! It's as simple as pie, right? Turn here, stop at red lights, all that jazz!

[cryfrustration]

Okay, okay one crisis at a time. There is someone there, and Vrenille has started talking to him so...okay, wow, guess this is gonna be his bag now, for better or worse. (Gods he hopes the guy's not an asshole. Or a rich, entitled asshole. That'd be worse.)

Just suck it up and deal, man he tells himself flatly. Anyway, it sort of helps having something to focus (at least his mind, if not his eyes) on.

"Nah," he frowns in the direction of the voice. As far as the apparent invisibility goes, he's more perplexed than alarmed, "You're not doing it on purpose?"

Like "doing it" on purpose is a completely reasonable thing to expect. And yeah, sure, for him it's maybe not such a big deal. The stranger's tone of voice, however, makes it pretty clear even before he answers that no, he's probably not doing it on purpose, so he guesses that makes the question fairly rhetorical.

"You know how to end an invisibility spell?"

Carmilla Karnstein | Carmilla

[sapphicvamp]

a ] wandering the mall

[ At least there were decent clothes here- raiding Hot Topic appealed more to her aesthetic than anything else. But once she has a fresh change of clothing, Carmilla is off to see the parts of the mall with more people around. Real people, though a part of her wonders if she can drain the more hollow shells for a snack...

The dense fog covering the skylight does wonders for her as she circles the fountain, fingertips trailing the columns as she walks past them. ]

And here we find that humans are nothing if not predictable~

[ She's not quite mocking, even if her tone suggests it. She makes her way over to the fountain and sits down next to someone- anyone really. ] And why have we gathered around the watering hole today?


b; the lovers~

[ Find her. Convince everyone you're in love with her.

The instructions were easy enough. At least she thought they were. So, even as she set up camp, so to speak, with a lantern and some philosophy books... She can't shake the uneasy feeling in her stomach that she should be finding this pre-decided dream girl of hers.

Carmilla frowns a little as the queasy feeling grows, but does little more than to look over the top of her book to see if the next person passing by is her person...

Until it finally is. She lowers her book and flashes the other girl a big smile. ]

Hey, cupcake, what took you so long?


c; wildcard

[ Take your imagination for a spin- i'm down with any prompts you want to fling my way ]

I was very sleepy when I read this and was like IS THAT A MYTH I MISSED no

[pharmaka]

Protocol and decorum -- things she knows well, and hasn't used in centuries. The stiffness of feigning intimacy with a stranger is very new to her, however, and as much as all gods love a novelty, Circe could've truly done without this one.

At least her pair in this seems even more discomfitted than she. Circe is used to hiding weakness. It is the only way to exist as a goddess, and not be a constant victim. She can handle one dry kiss in the midst of all this.

For Circe, this sort of questioning does pass as truly romantic for her. She would not express such transparent concern over many people. "I am uninjured, but I cannot say the same for those that venture out into the mists," she returns simply. "I have been watching, and it seems so far that those few that do come back do not do so unchanged. I would not have either of us venture straight into the maw of a monster with no means of defense or attack."

[pharmaka]

She is a poor goddess, but she would be a truly stupid one not to identify the mist as an evil work of some malignant power. It seems like a smoke straight out of the depths of Hades, generating hallucinations of the dead and insanity and then twisted flesh among the living. Those alive are not meant to contact with the underworld. If it is not that, surely it is something not far off.

Do not linger among death-power if one wishes to remain alive. That seems sensible enough to her. But not to all these earnest, desperate mortals, it seems. Circe cannot fault them when they have so little time with which to be patient.

She has seen worse, caused worse herself unquestionably, than that one mutilated corpse; Circe flicks it a stone-faced disinterested glance before facing Shinichi again. It relents to something softer as he draws away and crouches, shaking, away from the mist. Circe comes with him, kneels on the hard floor with both knees -- someone used to skirts -- and goes on, "I did see. It is the way of monsters, to inspire terror. You need not feel ashamed for it. But you must steel yourself. It will not be the last gruesome thing we see."

The warning passes as kindness, in her world. She silently curses herself a fool for it. Does she never learn? Must she keep this same sorry song? This boy could be as horrid as all the rest that have come to Aeaea over the years. There is no reason to think he is one of the few exceptions she encounters. But as always, her soul curdles to imagine cruelty to someone already wracked with fear, who has done nothing she's seen to deserve it. That has always been a great failing of hers.

[blastit]

[ those words on their own were so infuriating; a true test of self-control as Bakugou struggled to keep his hands steady as he poured the hot espresso into an empty cup, already attending to the next order in line. with a face clouded with utter vexation, he turns to address the pesky ‘customer’, only to find out it was— ]

... Todoroki?!

[ did he sound pleased with their unexpected reunion? absolutely not. but, hey, a familiar face in this purgatory is not a bad thing. after all, misery loves company.

it didn’t mean he will embrace his classmate with open arms, instead—he neglects his request altogether, slammed his hands on the surface ( somewhat threatening to knock the cup off its balance) and started the interrogation.

straightforward, as always. ]

Who else is here?!

[blastit]

[ a hassle, true, but everyone seemed to be cooperating so far; and Bakugou knew it had little to do with his demeanor. after all, with the blood smears glazed on the glass behind him like some sinister canvas— it had a bigger impact as the perfect 'warning sign'. he knew it takes a nonsensical level of reckless to deny evident logic and insist on venturing into the mist. so, yeah, that made his job a lot easier!

however, it is fated to cross paths with that one individual who would test his patience. in a heartbeat, he caught a glimpse of that hand reaching for the knob; seemingly negligent to his words. and, out of reflex, he gripped into that wrist, hard.

that was close. too close ….

finally, he glanced upward, eyes searching Takasugi's. ]

The fuck are you doing? [ too loud. ] Are you trying to get that thing in here?!

[blastit]

... Hey.

[ he didn’t allow her the privilege to take another step forward, quick to grab her by the arm— (unintentionally) adding some force into it; but ultimately stopping her from running into an easy trap. in his honest defense, he was still a bit agitated with the sudden twist of events, and not in the right mental state to practice his ‘social skills’ or offer ‘reassurance’. in his other defense: he just … didn’t give a fuck how he should do it, as long as he gets the job done. period.

honestly, not the best representative for U.A. ...

at least, he flexed his fingers enough to reduce the pressure of his grasp; not yet releasing her, though. ]

I'm sure they’re fucking dead. We just missed the show.

[blastit]

[ probably the worst choice of a sympathetic individual, and it showed from the lack of reaction from Bakugou's side. he merely squints, tilting his head to catch a closer look at that gushing injury. it didn’t look too deep, or life-threatening— yet the trail of blood Gintoki's leaving behind says otherwise.

hmm.

and yet, that man didn’t look like he’s going through any pain, or in panic. with that thought in mind, his features relaxed into an apathetic stare. ]

... Yeah. But, you look fucking fine to me.

[ future hero. ]

[hairswirls]

( this boy....looked too much like someone she knew, someone who she had been protecting for a while now too. the coincidences were painfully accurate- like the dark hair, glasses, but she had to do what she had been assigned, or face the repercussions.

she stood before him, watching as he appears to be unsettled by all of this like her. it caused her to become a less rigid, he was just as nervous by this and he had nothing to do with forcing them into this situation.

kirie offered him a smile [after a long sigh], and nodded at his question. her voice is more natural this time. )

Yes of course. I've missed you too.

( she took a step forward, feeling a bit of a pull in her legs, but she continued on. her arms reached out to hold the other close to her, her chin gently sliding onto his shoulder. he wasn't much taller than her, so it helped for them to be even closer like this.

after a moment, she pulled away [not too far], the smile remaining. )

I've been....looking for you?

( she wasn't sure on when she should kiss him, where, but whatever had been watching was clearly not amused by how distant she was acting.

so kirie decided to increase the closeness and acting. she gently placed an arm around his waist, wordlessly saying 'i'm sorry' to the other. )

How about a kiss? I've longed for your embrace.

[mightyboy]

[Everyone had a different way to cope, he supposes. But this guy was repsonsive at least, so that definitely ruled out the possibility of them being a recording. It was a good opportunity to figure out what other things were going around in the mall, since Izuku was effectively stuck.]

The feeling is mutual for a lot of us, I feel! [He’s trying to keep his voice light and reassuring.] So, nothing weird has happened to you?

[flowerclip]

[Petunia considers this a moment. It's true enough, she supposes. She's done plenty of heroic things without the use of crazy super powers-- chasing a purse-snatcher down on a bike, rescuing Todd Allison when he'd been kidnapped... She hadn't really felt very heroic at the time, since to her it had just been... Well, something she had to do, because what else was she supposed to do? Grabbing a bike and going on a weird chase all through the city and crashing through cafe windows just seemed obvious at the time.

She scratches at the back of her head, grinning sheepishly.] ...Yeah, you're right. And just because I don't have a... a quirk thing doesn't mean I can't help people who need it! [She pumps a fist in the air with enthusiasm] I've beaten back bad guys before! I can fight! Hahaha!

[She laughs brightly, feeling much better and grins at him] You're definitely going to be an awesome sueprhero, Deku! A super superhero, even!

[flowerclip]

[She lets out a yelp when he grabs her, flailing her other arm a little in protest. His grip is firm enough to make her wince when she tries to wrench herself free, though it does make her stop after a few seconds, expression growing distressed and uncertain]

But... But we don't know that... We can't just assume. And we can't just sit here and wait for those-- things to figure out there's a whole buffet waiting in here if they can get through the glass!

[Though they don't seem at all interested in actually getting into the mall anyhow, but Petunia can't be sure how long that'll last. The fog itself seems to have a mind of its own too, making her eye it with a nervous anxiety.

Her shoulders slump a little.] We have to do something...

lets bounce yo

[hoboagogo]

[Getting new clothes is probably a good idea-- and definitely not one that Shinjiro, gutter-trash-extraordinaire, has subscribed to yet. So... yeah he's still in his old, shitty red coat, bloodstains tarnishing it and all. And probably has a bit of a funky smell to him, but fuck it- it's the least of anyone's worries.

He sits up from where he'd been lounging as the question comes, dark eyes immediately darting to the keys danging from Tex's fingers.]

Seems like a pretty shit idea.

[But, hey. It's not like he can get more dead, right? He rolls a shoulder as he stands, not seeming too bothered by what a terrible, stupid plan this is. At least it's attempting to do something.]

Fuck it, I'm in.

[flowerclip]

Uh. [Petunia looks around slowly. THere are some NPCs fulfilling some stereotypical Loitering Teens trope, with dyed hair and more punk-y/goth-y clothes not too far, and Petunia nods to them]

Does that count? [So weird.]

[flowerclip]

[Her pretzel dog gone (she feels oddly a little sad about it, and makes a mental note that if and when she gets money to buy like, 5 more), Petunia doesn't quite have an excuse to hang around anymore, but it's nice to talk to someone who's actually talking back.]

Can't you just... leave? It doesn't really look like anyone's going to stop you...

it works because i was very sleepy when i wrote it, lol

[cheffeur]

Of course she, too, would have seen the occasional idiot that decided to press their luck. Most of them simply disappeared into the unknown- ran out into the fog, and that was it, their entire existence to become little more than a mystery. Others less fortunate were ripped apart almost immediately. Even fewer found their way back, hardly the same as before.

He takes in a slow breath, as though buying time to roll it all around in his mind, words carefully chosen as he speaks them. "I'm... inclined to agree with you. Without more information or strategy, it would be madness to attempt escape." After all, he wasn't familiar with the area at all, and no amount of searching and found him any sort of local map. That and the lack of phone service meant they'd be rushing out blindly, with no plan as to their next shelter.

He really doesn't know what anyone attempting escape is actually thinking.

"We don't seem too pressed for time. Perhaps it would be best to familiarize ourselves with the complex here, find some means of defense in case things become more dire."

It's easier to forget the facade of a relationship and simply act when he focuses on the things that need to be done. Her hand in his is just an extraneous detail.

[middlechilde]

Best feeling?

[It's both surprising and not at all surprising to hear.]

Better than sex?

[It's the only basis for comparison she has.]

1c

[cheffeur]

One doesn't become an adviser to the crown by being unobservant. It's only a few minutes into the stalking that he's noticed another person acting-- well. Normally. Not scripted. Not milling aimlessly, as though in pre-written movements. That in and of itself is enough to catch his attention. The footfalls are less perfect than those of the vacant inhabitants of the mall: they show faint signs of hesitancy at times, of indecision. They pause when he does, leave him at the door of a shallow store entrance, pick up again as he leaves.

He lets it continue for some time. Curiosity is hardly a crime, after all, and so long as he's aware of them they aren't too much of a threat. And so Ignis simply carries on, stopping by the next store to glance about the goods, familiarize himself with some of the culture of this new world and place. (It's not too dissimilar to some of the boroughs of Insomnia, really.)

It's after a particularly un-stealthy stumble, hitch of breath, and sudden stillness and silence breaking though what had been the almost-companionable sound of fellow footsteps that Ignis finally sighs and adjusts his glasses, turning on his heel. His expression is primarily neutral, though one brow is lifted as he regards the man trying to wedge himself behind a kiosk.

"Have you accomplished whatever it is you're following me for, or is this to continue?"