EVENT & TDM 026

[sticksandbonesmods]

GETTING SOME VITAMIN-SEA

WAKE UP

You wake up to a sticky heat, the sound of waves and seagulls in the distance. It smells like sea salt, sand and copper, and as you come to, a scalding hot sun against a red sky pours into the window. You find yourself within a grand room full of Rattan furniture, luxurious silks and chiffon draped around. On the bedside table is a folded note:

Welcome to the Sunset Bay Hotel, courtesy of Süri, the Darkened Sun!

The note wishes you a happy stay, while alluding to something no one should know- a secret shame, something that certainly no hotel would bring into play. As you explore the hotel, you’ll find both residents of the Grove and new faces alike, all with the same rooms. Men and women alike in airy uniforms, scales smattered across their cheeks and arms and fins where their ears should be, wait to serve, but careful — Sirens are dangerous creatures, and you’re not here to relax, but to entertain in the cruelest degree: surviving. Those caught by their sweet and friendly demeanors and enchanting voices may just get bitten.

The amenities would be luxurious — a pool, a private beach, a gym, a café and multiple restaurants of varying degrees of ‘fancy’ — but between the Sirens waiting to lure you in for a snack and the scent of blood everywhere, alongside the blood-red burning sky and the feeling of being watched, it’s hard to enjoy. At least the water is beautiful…

Wait, careful, there are more sirens in the water.

STAGE FRIGHTFUL

Eventually the Sirens all move in unison, dragging random members of the lot of you to a mysterious building one morning — attempts to save the grabbed don’t work, as a barrier protects the kidnapping staff, and the doors close tightly behind them, the building repelling all force and locking itself up.

Later that night, the building seems so much more grand from the outside. Golden lights shine, beckoning whoever wasn’t taken to come in. The black lettering on the sign of what most of you will recognize as a theater says “The Mortal Life”, but nothing else. A siren concierge gleefully welcomes you, gives you your seat number, and both a bucket of popcorn and… tomatoes? Before she waves you off.

You find yourself forced into a seat, and if you look around you can see a box seat above everyone else, and a familiar face — Süri himself, with Zonari beside him, sitting, amused and bored. Those who try to attack will find their bullets and magic repelled, and no one can move from their seat until the lights dim.

Those who were taken, in turn, find themselves forced to put on a performance: a play that’s a terrible parody of their life. Süri seems entertained, at least, and if you resist you find yourself tugged around like a marionette. Only at a random interval can people be free to move again, be it to rescue those from the stage before their worst secrets are butchered and proclaimed live in full view of everyone or to flee the theater entirely.

The process repeats the next night, and then the next, new victims every time, all while Süri laughs.

OCEAN VIEWS

Eventually, the wretched God gets bored, and the Sirens are getting restlessly hungry with all the fresh meat just waiting to be eaten. Maybe it’s when they finally snap and begin to maul ‘guests’ that he decides to end it all- one minute you’re staring fangs and scales in the face, claws digging into your skin, and the next, you’re on the beach, sheltered in the presence of Ourania’s grand statue.

You’re free to leave and return to the Grove — Renard, Heimr, Ydalir and Nene have been taking care of everyone’s pets and gardens, and are more than happy to see you all — or you can stay in the cabanas for a little vacation. Regardless, it’s over. Even if the feeling of marionette strings and an ever-burning stare linger.

The fruit sharks swim through the air lazily, and the mobster lobsters and coconut crabs — literally coconuts who are also crabs, mind you — have escalated their turf war down the road, and sunberry bushes line the cliffside with abundance. The seamonkeys that Mizuki once helped find their footing in a society of their own rise up within their tidepool, wishing to see the God that taught them about morality and free choice once more, and will stop to ask anyone with a Bone Ring where the “benevolent God of Blue” is. The caverns to the cabanas still flood to the ceiling at night, and the gentle breeze welcomes you to rest after everything.

Summer closes with the disappearance of those mushrooms that have turned half the residents into monsters a few months ago, too, and with it, those of you who have become monsters finally revert to your original forms. Finally… it feels nice to have your normal legs again, doesn’t it?

Spark Notes

summary

WAKE UP: Welcome to the Sunset Bay Hotel! Not only are new arrivals here, but so are the oldbies. Unfortunately despite being a nice resort with many ammenities, the Siren staff members would rather have you for lunch most of the time.
STAGE FRIGHTFUL: Some of you may be kidnapped to the stage to put on a play for the Grove's two least favourite antagonists, a terrible parody of something from your own life (or the whole thing, if you're so inclined). The captive audience of your peers can't leave until at least halfway through, so try not to get stage fright and delay!
OCEAN VIEWS: Finally bored of you, the False God sends everyone back home to the Grove's seaside, where you can venture into the Grove or hang out with the animals for a while. And finally, those of you who were affected by the prior month's mushrooms will turn back to normal again. Hopefully your usual legs aren't too hard to walk on.

out of character

Happy July! Here is your usual reminder that TDM threads are game canon. This log is short and sweet to give you guys a relaxed summer before we head off into horror times for the next several months.

updates

Any potential updates, such as characters damaging something important or whatever else, will be put here.

submissions

❖ Questions
❖ July Plotting
❖ Past Life Plotting (Closed to Game Members)
❖ Investigations

code

Comments

QUESTIONS

[sticksandbonesmods]

[chickenchoicejudy]

If two characters have a very intertwined history, can they be forced on stage at the same time? Wouldn't want to bore Suri by putting on the same show twice, right? ;)

INVESTIGATIONS

[sticksandbonesmods]

Please use the following form for investigations:

Character(s):
Location:
Action: What are they looking for? What are they doing?

<b>Character(s):</b> <b>Location:</b> <b>Action:</b>

hi I rolled a 10

[kingincognito]

Character(s): Joshua Rosfield
Location: Suri's old library
Action: This is the first of a series of regular monthly investigations to see if he can find anything interesting!

[lovelyredthread]

Frozen and swaying //
[ Pavlova does not sleep soundly. It's an unfortunate fact of life that he is an incredibly light sleeper at best. This means that the fact he suddenly passes out coupled with the difference in his bed is more than enough to startle him into wakefulness. It's still early, though much later than he's usually awake for the day, and he barely thinks to read the note, too distracted by the disgusting way the muggy heat and metallic scent make him feel.

Not that the note helps at all when he does read it. Stumbling out of his room, he's met with the cordial but subtly threatening scaled staff and he tears down the hallway trying to find-- somewhere he can go that is safe enough to have a mild meltdown. Where is his dad? Why are they here?

Somehow he thinks that this is not the kind of vacation White Lily Cookie had in mind when she mentioned it all those weeks ago. Pavlova stumbles into a courtyard by one of the resort's cafe areas and tucks himself down in between a tree and a shrub, his wings wrapping around his shoulders as he breathes and tries to take stock of the situation. Finding his dad had to be his first priority, and then he could worry about everything else. ]

The Waning Moon's Rondo // cw implied child abuse
[ Really Pavlova thought that he was finally at the end of his rope when he was seized by the sirens earlier in the day. Surprisingly, though, he wasn't immediately eaten. The different costumes thrown at him and the fussing were. Strange at very least and disconcerting, but other than being unwillingly shoved into some kind of production he was blind to what was about to happen until it was happening in front of him. The set formed steadily, props making it clear what the primary setting was. Pink and green, the cloying sweet scent and the teeth and eyes on everything made his stomach twist as it formed.

It was futile to resist, he found early on. He couldn't run, so when it was time to take the stage, he didn't even bother looking into the audience. There was a sense of defeat that he knew he would be pulled along to the performance no matter what. So he followed. The music began and he danced. The siren picked to portray his mother had none of the sweetness and all of the cruelty, seeming to enjoy as she led him around the stage in a representation of what he could only assume was her becoming more and more reliant on him to do her bidding as she fell to sloth.

the one time the set changed was what Pavlova could only assume was him being sent out to do something for her, but he couldn't remember ever going to the Faerie Kingdom like this. Let alone meeting Sugarfly there. He assumed it had to be some kind of misinterpretation of his memories, maybe. The way he mirrored Sugarfly's dance from a distance, as though hiding from her tugged at his heart in a way he didn't want to think about. The siren could never do her any justice. She was too graceful to be mimicked in such a way. Too beautiful in her mannerisms that he couldn't help but find the attempt annoying.

He went back to the garden after his dance with Sugarfly and fell before the actor of his mother, distraught as she circled him. Kneeling, she brushed a hand through his hair and he shuddered as he was shrunken down. He's not even sure when he had been made taller for the performance, but he was his proper size now, and the actor seemed to be trying to comfort him.

From here he could pinpoint proper memories again, hiding behind trees and the hedge maze's walls as his mother punished those who expressed discontent, watching things within the garden twist and corrupt with time, the eyes everywhere serving as Eternal Sugar's assurance that no one came or left without her knowing about it... And of course Sugarfly. Her arrival at the garden, the way it wore on her and then her decision to coat her wings in syrup, never to fly again in exchange for beauty that she already possessed.

It had to be winding down, he thought as he was made to sit before his "mother" once more apart from his being sealed in her jewelry box and the mess with Hollyberry Cookie they were almost caught up to present day. Or at least he thought that until he saw the very large, very real scissors that the actor produced, the sadistic glee in her eyes as she made her way behind him. He tried to scoot away from her but strings came down to hold him in place as she roughly grabbed one of his wings and straightened it. Somehow he imagined she wasn't going to be satisfied only cutting what was left of his primaries.

Tears came to his eyes but his struggles only seemed to tighten the strings, and he was pushed down to make things more manageable, his face roughly pressed to the stage. He couldn't even scream. ]

I want to drift in that tranquility //
[ He managed to get away from the play with his wings intact, but he still hasn't really recovered from it. Deep welts remained from where the strings dug into his skin, and he hasn't been able to look anyone in the eye all day. He's avoided anywhere with a high concentration of people and eventually found himself in one of the resort's pools, trying desperately to stop thinking in circles about what happened.

There are sirens in the pool. This wasn't his best idea, but he's been able to avoid them thus far by just floating on an innertube. Maybe there was someone more interesting distracting them, he doesn't know. He doesn't want to think about it. Maybe they just don't want plastic with their lunch. ]

For now, I sleep //
[ Wildcard!! come get him for post resort shenanigans here also. ]

Tranquility

[unheiring]

[By now, Luca has lost his... taste for sirens, to the point of irritation. So when he sees them casually watching Pavlova, he takes it on himself to shoo them away. Call it payback, for the "advice" Pavlova had given him. Or maybe he's just secretly a good person. Who knows. Who cares. The point is, between the flame in his palm and blade in his hand, he's able to at least convince them to give them a wider berth.]

You should be more careful.

Gold Ship | Uma Musume | TDM

[godofhorsegirls]

[[for now dragging golshi from the end of s1 of the anime bc it's what i watched first, with her game weirdness thrown in. i'm not very far into the game itself so-]]

i. strange tides, stranger horse

[Waking up in a strange location is a new experience! Normally this would be setting off more red flags, but it's as they say: Go with the flow. Thus, the "where the hell am I where are ten of my closest friends" does not quite hit the way it should, especially when she realises this is a resort of some kind. Yes, the red sky is ominous, but so are many things in life. Plus, Gold Ship likes red. It matches her outfit.

She decides, after she locates proper swimwear, to go for a dip in the pool. Without her trainer here to boss her around, she can swim however she wants, dammit. She can hold her breath for several minutes underwater and no one will ask her if she's drowned or not! (She thinks!) She can evade responsibility! She can almost get bitten by a Siren, actually, but one swift kick with both legs directly to the chest sends him reeling. She doesn't think she killed him considering her shoes aren't on, but it sure does make the others mad.

To her perception, sharp as a tack (it isn't) and cracked like a whip (that is not how the phrase goes), the Sirens in the water are just trying to race her. Very well. She accepts your challenge! She can lap you one hundred, no, one thousand times!

Having no sense of danger, Gold Ship races the Sirens. This is unfortunate for anyone watching who thinks she might die and is worried about her, but luckily after about ten laps around the pool (and no doubt splashing anyone floating by with their margs on inner tubes, sorry) she gets bored and climbs out, yawns, and narrowly avoids getting her tail swiped at as she goes to dry off.

...why are you looking at her like that.]

Oh, those chuds? Yeah, they're not all that good at swimming, are they?

[girl they're SIRENS]

ii. horse school musical

[Gold Ship did not know that women could come in purple. Actually, she's pretty damn sure that the girl in the cool box seat is wearing a Halloween costume, and that maybe she's one of those troll things from that webseries that got way too popular...? Stuckhome or something, she dunno. Golshi goes to comment on said costume from her position on stage, but her voice gets weirdly stuck in a way that's pretty uncanny—

Anyway, not thinking of that! They want her to put on a play about her life? Sure, but that play is going to become a musical and it will be 4 hours long due to just how much shit happens at Tracen and how robust the NPC cast winds up being. One of the songs feels unhinged and requires many, many Sirens to dress exactly like her and do the choreography properly, and yes she does scream as soon as the music starts. More than that, though...

Gold Ship actually has complaints about the Sirens playing some of her friends and will actually pause the show to be demanding, something that does get her tugged around on marionette strings about, but that she will not stop doing until they look right.]

You! You're too tall to be McQueen! Come back with a shorter actress! And you! [She's pointing with the microphone now. On god this woman is pointing with the microphone, and the resulting feedback is enough to slightly deafen the audience every time she swings it around.] Scarlet's hair is longer and her chest is bigger! If you look too much like Vodka, you're going to confuse the audience! And you!!!

[This will unfortunately continue for some time while she nitpicks just about every horse girl actress that exists. And when the play finally starts?

...nothing super traumatic actually happens, unlike some of the others she's been forced to watch. It's literally a slice-of-life sports idol school racing based play, er, musical, about the antics Gold Ship gets up to in her spare time. Such includes: Bothering Mejiro McQueen daily in a way that says "down horrendous", making and selling lots of yakisoba and taiyaki, eating her weight in carrots (welcome to the mukbang you didn't ask to be part of), lots of singing every time she wins a race which by this play's standards is Every Goddamn Time There's A Race...

There are holes left in the stage from where her horseshoes dug into them during said race phases, and the other Sirens are not very good runners in comparison, which yields yet another complaint just as the seats start to let the audience go:]

You're doing it wrong! Man, why did they give me extras that can't act?! [And then she turns to you in the front seat:] Here, put on that wig and beat me in the race.

[Do you accept? Do you even want to be on stage? Do you even want to be here with Gold Ship bullying the cast as much as she does?]

iii. what is a horse to an uma?

[As soon as she's wandered her way into the Grove — no one could possibly drag this woman back, no no, she shows up five days late after everyone else leaves, entirely due to hunger and listlessness — Gold Ship heads off to see the weird tent and turtle lady only to get a notebook placed in her hands. This is what everyone uses to chat in, apparently. This item largely gets ignored until she wanders into the barn in search of something to do, and sees... a creature.

What the hell is that creature with the hooves.

Very carefully, Gold Ship draws it in the notebook, then draws an arrow pointing to it, and then writes:]

Technology from the past is surely fascinating... and what creature might this be? We don't have these on Planet Golgol.

[To be clear: This woman is from Earth. Japan. She is not from another planet she's from goddamn modern-day Japan. They just don't have horses there because she Is the horses.]

iv. wildcard

[attack this horse at your leisure]

i

[notsonewbie]

[Honestly, Meryl is pretty impressed. Drenched from Gold Ship's efforts, and now holding a very watered down drink, but impressed nonetheless.]

They could have fooled me. Definitely way better than I ever could be.

Are you sure you're not just... really good?

maelle // clair obscur: expedition 33 // current player, new character

[iridescenttears]

i. DANCING WITH DEATH // around the resort

[by now, maelle is extremely well versed in dancing with death. a resort whose staff is composed of man-eating creatures is mildly inconvenient, at worst. she's been Parrying their attempts at charm fairly well up to this point (thanks, video game logic) and they seem... harmless, almost. she isn't under the illusion that they are, of course, but sometimes, when you're a bit of a reckless teenager and a very skilled fighter... poking the bear is fun.

wherever a siren tries to make a move, maelle is ready with her rapier to fend them off, almost playfully. she doesn't aim to kill, or even to severely hurt. just toy with them the same as they've been toying with her. no, it doesn't matter whether she's in the lobby, the squash court, a restaurant... and should anyone catch her, she just raises a brow and grins.]

Would you like a turn?

-

ii. PARKOUR // on the beach
[so, maelle has recruited some of the staff to help her set up an obstacle course, with a mutual understanding that the sirens will still be doing their damnedest to grab a meal.

within the day, beginning on the shore is a parkour course of logs, rafts, and furniture items extending out on the water and wrapping back around to the finish. challengers will have to run and jump over the length of the course, likely dodging sirens both in and out of the water all the while. a wooden sign is painted at the start reads: "GESTRAL BEACH." in smaller red letters, "PARTICIPATE AT YOUR OWN RISK!" is added almost like an afterthought.

the girl stands beside the sign, eager for people to show interest.]

It's harder – and easier – than it looks. Want to race?

-

iii. MAELLE'S ACTING DEBUT // the theatre // CW: sibling & parent death, BIGASS spoilers

maelle, shrunk to the size of a child and wearing an obvious red wig, grows up alongside her older brother and oldest sister in an extremely bougie manor, under the tutelage of their mother. their father is never far away, but at the edge of the stage, preventing a group dressed like hipsters one would see "writing their great novel" in any coffee shop from making their way onstage.

all three children receive painting lessons from their mother.

the young girl ditches lessons in favor of reading alone in her room. the rest of the family sighs in massive exasperation, like a sitcom, "oh, alicia!"

they grow a little more. their mother instructs her brother and sister on the piano and harp, respectively. maelle is nowhere to be seen. again, everyone sighs. "oh, alicia!"

the girl, now a normal-sized teen, sneaks to a meeting with the hipsters, their laptops and coffee cups in hand. one suddenly throws their coffee cup at maelle, and the stage erupts in cardboard flames as the writers vanish. maelle, seemingly in shock, her face and throat spattered with dye the same color as the flames, is surrounded by fire until her brother swoops in and throws her out of the blaze. the "fire" rises ever higher as the siren playing her brother, dressed exactly like verso, screams in excruciatingly well-acted agony. by now, maelle is openly sobbing. the remaining family chimes in, as comedic as ever despite the realistic screaming. "oh, alicia!"

despite her crying and rising anger, maelle is forced to continue the play. suddenly, in front of a giant framed painting, her mother, dripping with multicolored paint, sits motionless, and her sister stands with crossed arms. sister points at maelle, then points at the canvas, tapping her foot impatiently as maelle walks over to touch it. maelle appears to struggle with something invisible for a moment, then begins shrinking once more. her sister throws her arms up. "oh, alicia!"

the scene changes entirely as maelle becomes infant-sized once more. the stage looks like a distorted version of the town previously seen outside the manor's windows. from this point forward, a giant tower of rock always looms in the distant background. her parents look completely different, and before she can grow at all, they disappear in a burst of red flower petals.

as maelle grows once more, she crosses back and forth across the stage, to different houses and families, eventually settling with a pair of curly-haired siblings. her tears have nearly stopped now, and her indignation builds as she returns to her normal size. all the while, background characters continue to vanish into petal clouds.

a small army, including maelle and the curly-haired man, set off on a ship toward the faraway tower. as soon as they make land, the original siren playing her father steps on stage, and violently "kills" all but the two of them and a pair of women, before vanishing. the four fight their way through a series of monstrous looking creatures across various otherworldly scenes before they come upon her father once more. through the act, maelle's wrath reaches a boiling point.

"Stop! Stop it, all of you! Don't you dare!"

but the play doesn't end yet. father raises his cane. there's a burst of light. then the curly-haired man is "dead" on the stage, and the verso siren stands between maelle and their father. both of them repeat, as infuriatingly goofy as before, "oh, alicia!"

maelle screams in rage and finally moves of her own accord, materializing a rapier and lashing at the two sirens onstage.

-

iv. wildcard
[[ ayyyy it's weasel!! hit me up on PMs or discord, or just toss shit at me!! ]]

you know i had to pick iii

[fluffiestsoul]

[It’s bad enough, being forced to play out his life on the stage. It’s something different entirely, to see it for himself. He hadn’t known he wasn’t alone here. Worse still, he hadn’t realized that of all people, Maelle had followed him. He shouldn’t be surprised, it was liable to happen during his escape from the painting, too. She had always been their shadow, and now here she is.

Complex feelings aside, Verso doesn’t relish what he sees on the stage. As his own counterpart screams his agony, he practically feels it himself. He never lived through those flames, but he’d seen them played out enough to have a few guesses how it felt. Never mind how Maelle must feel, seeing it again and again.

More grief, more mourning and then…

Well, is it any wonder that the magic holding Verso in place releases right then? There’s already a Verso on stage, but that’s no matter. He joins him in a heartbeat, though this time he stands on Maelle’s side. His own blades are out and waiting, facing down both sirens.]

I’m getting real tired of putting you to rest, old man.

[It isn’t an accident that he doesn’t turn to Maelle right away, though. He keeps his eyes forward, his jaw locked. He isn’t ready to process this, to swallow it all down and keep smiling for her. Just give him a few more minutes for that.]

Verso || Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 || Current Player/Character

[fluffiestsoul]

i. Thunder In My Head — Around the Hotel

[Verso is up in an instant, squinting wildly at his shifted environ. His heart races, mind frantic at the idea of having been moved so easily. Thankfully, his weapons remain on his person; he opts for only the dagger now, far easier to wield in close quarters.

A rustling outside of his own room draws his attention. He places his hand on the knob, draws a single breath, and then bursts forth. Sorry to whoever is getting a blade at the throat, but at least he’ll realize his error pretty quick and back away.]

You too?

ii. But I'm Done Waiting For Rainbows — At the Beach, cw: old man swimsuits

[When it becomes clear that there’s little to be done about his current situation, Verso… does his best to relax. He does try every morning to stop the abductions, but unfortunately he finds himself coming up short every time. Nevertheless, he finds it in himself to relax every afternoon. He dons a swimsuit that gives us very little, and heads out to the beach. Most of the time, he makes a point of swimming against the tide as a strengthening exercise. He usually leaves the water once he’s panting, and finds himself stretching out in the warmth of the sun. Yes, you can watch him stretch out. If he catches you, he’ll even throw a wink your way and ham it up a bit.

Occasionally, though, he attempts to play volleyball with a siren or two. It ends just as quick, a sense of disappointment lingering. It just isn’t the same when it’s not a baby gestral being lobbed at him.

Unfortunately for him, one afternoon he winds up going a little too hard, and decides to rest on a towel for a few minutes. A few moments turns into an hour or three, and when he wakes, he is thoroughly cooked from the sun. Stiffly, he wanders up to the nearest person, siren or Grove occupant, and grimaces.]

Don’t suppose you have anything for… all of this.

iii. My Slumber Won't End — On-Stage, cw: loss of family, immolation, unreality

Expedition 33 Spoilers Inbound

[The curtain rises on Verso, stood within a massive, empty picture frame. He is flanked by two women and a “dog,” naturally all portrayed by sirens.The woman to his left is nearly his height, and holds herself with something between confidence and arrogance. To his right, is someone smaller, meeker. Her red hair is not unlike a flame. The dog, meanwhile, is strange. It’s clearly fluffy like an animal is meant to be, but it wears a mask to hide its features. Off to the side are two more figures, an older man and woman — presumably meant to be their parents. Their expressions are almost mournful.

And no wonder. No sooner does the curtain rise than “flames” begin to do the same. They’re cardboard and poorly colored in with markers, but flames nonetheless. At the same time, ribbons of a similar color fall down, completely enveloping Verso, even as he tries to wrench free of whatever magic seems to hold him captive.

The lights go down. They flicker on once, twice, three times, revealing Verso sprawled out on the floor, covered in ribbon. The family flickers through different levels of agony and mourning.

When they finally stay on, though, everything seems back to normal. The family laughs and plays. Verso does too, though it’s clear his movements are forced. Nevertheless, he playfully debates with his eldest sister, and dances with the smaller one. He finds his mother and embraces her.

The lights go down. Lightning strikes the stage, while only the shoddily created sound effects of cracking and crumbling occur.



The lights return. In the distance now stands a monolith, with a poorly drawn woman seated in front of it. The number on it reads 100. Verso stands with the same, older man from before though this one seems far darker dressed and more sinister. A number of other nameless faces join them, all dressed in the same uniform. They pantomime traveling together, making for the monolith, fighting off poorly costumed foes. When they finally draw close to the monolith, however, a woman appears. She bears the same outfit as his eldest sister, but now bears painted cracks across their skin.

A moment passes. Then another. Verso and the man share horrified looks, then nod to each other. In an instant, they turn on their own allies, slaying them. Only a woman remains standing. She and Verso share a fond look, before she lashes out at him. With no other choice, Verso “impales” her with his blade, then falls to his knees, clutching the body as she “bleeds out” ribbons.

Keen eyes might notice that the tears on Verso’s face seem almost real.

The lights go down.

They come back in a dizzying montage. Each time, the number on the monolith changes. Each time, Verso and his father kill more of their former allies. The anger on Verso’s face grows, but he can do nothing against it, despite his best efforts.

The lights go down.

He’s had enough by the time the lights return. He turns on the man meant to be his father. They both fight, swinging their swords simultaneously — aiming for one another’s eyes.

The lights go down.

The number 49 is on the monolith when the stage lights up again. The strange, ethereal woman from before stands in front of Verso, holding a bundle. Stock cries of a baby ring out. Verso’s mouth is forced to speak. “Oh, Alicia,” comes his mournful whisper.

The lights go down.

33 lights the monolith, as the fiery-haired young woman from before takes center stage. Verso’s father stands before her and another man. Verso stands very obviously in the wings, simply… waiting. His father strikes the man, killing him instantly, before turning on the girl. Only then does Verso sprint forward, blocking the attack. He holds out his hand for the girl.

The traveling sequence begins anew, as Verso joins the girl’s party. Yes, there is a siren playing Esquie. No, he is not nearly as huggable. New faces join them. Other faces leave them tragically. But eventually, they reach the monolith.

A cracked and broken statue of a woman greets them. They fight, but the fiery young girl strikes the final blow. Both she and Verso look around, lingering in a single moment of hope.

Then one by one, each actor on the stage throws out a handful of petals, before collapsing. Only Verso and the girl remain. She stares in horror. Verso waits with bated breath. The girl collapses with her own spray of flowers.

The lights go down.

Verso sits at the edge of the stage when they return, waiting for something. The girl from before appears, but where there was once fire, now silver lingers. She lays a hand on his shoulder, but it brings no comfort to Verso. His face falls as he looks to her.

She returns to the bodies of their friends, throwing new petals onto them. They are restored to life, climbing to their feet as a figure appears. It is their father, as he once appeared in that portrait. He reaches his hand out to Verso, tossing petals as the younger man seems to breathe a sigh of relief.

But the girl pulls him away, and instead draws her sword. They face off against the man, bringing him to his knees. Verso is forced to watch as he and the girl embrace, resigned to their fates. He is forced to swallow down his misery, his anger, as the painting appears once more.

No, he will not do it. He will not watch this happen. Violently, he wrenches his body, finally breaking free of whatever magic seems to be holding him. He doesn’t realize that it’s all according to plan, doesn’t realize until he’s leapt through the frame of the painting surrounding them that he’s played right into the hands of the man in the box seats.

He lands amongst the crowd and glares daggers up at Suri. Now free, he reaches for his sword. So long as no one gets in his way, or tries to stop him, he’ll kill the man where he stands. It wouldn’t be the first time he killed a god.]

iv. Hiding In The Shadows — Passenger

[After everything is said and done, Verso needs a damn drink. Unfortunately for him, as he simply goes behind a bar and plucks a bottle of wine (the bartending siren held at sword point the entire time), he can't shake the words of those who came before him. "You promised you would stop drinking alone," Eesquie says to him.

Fine. He won't.

There's only one person he seeks out. Wherever Passenger is, Verso will find him. He even has the decency to bring glasses, rather than just clean downing the bottle. Wordlessly, he slams both glasses down, pours them, and then pushes one toward the man.]

You're drinking with me.

v. Wildcard

[You know what to do. Throw something my way or reach out.]

iv.

[forwander]

[Passenger is in a lounge chair by the pool. He has somehow convinced the Sirens in the area that they have to give him a shoulder massage (and by "somehow" I mean he did that thing he used to do in Sargon where he threatened full violence in the form of free electroshock therapy and blackmail and scared them shitless) (reminder this is a skill he simply has), so that's what he's getting when Verso strolls up.

He opens one eye, quirks a brow, and sits up. The Siren who he's terrified half to death scampers off to bring them hors d'oeuvres and a little table to sit between them. Don't worry about this.]

I am? What did you bring?

Meryl Stryfe || Trigun: Stampede || Current Player/Character

[notsonewbie]

i. And It Feels Like Flying — Hotel Halls

[Meryl wakes from her slumber in an almost familiar heat. She sits up, wondering if the past few months have all been a nightmare of some sort. The rattan furniture and absolutely decadent surroundings, however, tell her that it’s a hopeless cause. Her lips twitch into a frown, and she finds herself reaching for her derringer. Thankfully, she finds it in the usual pocket. Probably not the safest, but at least it’s always with her.

She keeps the pistol in hand as she opens the door cautiously. When nothing immediately jumps out at her, she calls out:]

Helloooo. Anyone else here?


ii. It's A Fool's Paradise — The Fanciest Damn Restaurant You Can Find

[Since there’s no escaping this new adventure, Meryl opts to enjoy it to the fullest. That means heading to the fanciest restaurant and immediately marching up to the nearest siren.]

I want a large banana sundae. Now.

[To her delight, it’s delivered. She immediately digs into it, not even pausing to consider the danger. When the siren that served her lingers too long, or draws a little too close, though, she’s quick to pull out her pistol and press it to their gut.]

Don’t even think about it.

[Likewise, if she catches anyone eyeing her sundae a bit too greedily, she’ll promptly turn to them with narrowed eyes. No gun, but her expression seems to be vicious enough.]

Can I help you?

i .And Here We Go Denying — On the Beach

[Once Meryl has fully indulged her stomach, she decides to finally start wandering around. Naturally, she doesn’t get very far. If she thought the river in the Grove was amazing, her mind is absolutely blown by the ocean. She runs into the surf, pants and shoes be damned, and finds herself staring at the horizon.

It really goes on forever, doesn’t it?

[Of course, soggy shoes turn out to be unpleasant before long, so she opts to change into something a little more thematically appropriate. Unlike somebody she’s used to the effects of the sun, and knowledgeable about how to prevent burning, so she promptly slathers up. If she sees someone not doing that, she holds out the little bottle.]

Trust me. You need it.

[Before long, she finds herself in the water. She doesn’t go much further past her waist, and when the surf tries to drag her out, she takes a frantic step back.]

No, no, no thank you.

[Someone might want to teach her to swim before a siren nabs her.]

iv. That There's Always A Price — On Stage

[It’s not entirely peaceful for Meryl. One morning, she finds herself finally overcome by the sirens and dragged away. The rest of the day passes in a groggy blur, at least until she finds herself on stage. There’s a shitty cardboard truck surrounding her, and a large siren with a terrible looking beard seated beside her, drinking away.]

What - what are you -

[But the siren shoots her a glare.]

Quit yapping and drive, newbie.

[They arrive in a town before long, where another siren slithers on stage. Dressed in a familiar red jacket (or at least a shoddy recreation of one), he hams it up for the crowd by waving and giggling, before turning to Meryl and clapping his hands over his mouth. He tries to slither away, but the cardboard town around them promptly falls apart in his attempts.

Meryl, meanwhile, stares in horror.]

That isn’t how it -

[But the play continues despite her protests. A young boy stumbles toward her, but she fails to grab his hand before Vash tumbles a cardboard building on him. From beneath it, he whimpers:]

You did this.

[Devastated though she is, Meryl is left with no time to recover. She is forced to act out as they come across a gruff, chainsmoking man that also looks eerily familiar. A giant worm eats them, then spits them out. Vashren stumbles out of it, accidentally touching the worm and causing it to explode. Then, when they board a sand steamer, his bumbling causes the entire thing to nearly crash into a city.]

Stop. Stop it!

[But the show continues. Meryl is grabbed by a foul looking creature with a truly awful looking mask. Her mentor joins her, and they find themselves in a strange looking lab. It’s here that Meryl begins to bumble, making a fool of herself. When she opens her mouth, it isn’t her own words that come out.]

“Gee, I sure hope nothing bad happens because I indulged my enemies!”

[And sure enough, something does. Meryl slams a button on a chamber, releasing a child siren, who promptly throws a nail through her mentor. Meryl is forced to watch as he clutches his abdomen and stares at her.]

You did this.

[He spares her no kindness as he dies, nor does she have time to process as his body is swept away for a new scene. She watches as Vashren leaps on the stage, declaring his intention to rescue he. She’s helpless as he’s immediately imprisoned, his head hanging low.

The last thing he says before a vine gags him?]

You did this.

[She is freed just long enough to tear at the bindings, at least for a moment. Just as Vashren is able to burst out, though, Wolfren appears on stage and steals her away. She watches from the wings, slung over the siren’s shoulder, as Vash fights off Nai. In the end, he stumbles and falls, causing the entire city to be destroyed.

Only then does Wolfren set her down. However, she finds herself unable to remain on her feet, and collapses to her knees just as the last building in the city does. In the center of the chaos, Vashren lies covered in red ribbon, clearly meant to be dead.

She doesn’t look up as the Wolfwood siren slithers beside her, leaning down to whisper in her ear.]

You did this.

[Even as the lights grow low and Meryl finds herself able to move of her own free will, she lingers there.

She did this. She deserves this.]

v. And No Easy Way Out — Wildcard

[You know what to do. Throw something my way or reach out.]

ii

[cryopathy]

[few things that kiera loves more than alcohol and sex: food. sweet food. ice cream. there is absolutely zero shame on their face, or fear, for that matter, as they eye meryl's order with obvious lust.]

You could, in fact. Do you have another spoon?

Luca Aurelius || OC || Current Player/Character

[unheiring]

i. When Was The Last Time I Felt Like This? — The Beach

[Luca is no stranger to being dropped in different locations at this point. He wastes little time in getting out and exploring his surroundings. The heat, to him, is pleasant, and it isn’t long until he’s dressed for the occasion. He does avoid the water with a grimace, and if he’s splashed at any point he sends a scowl in the direction of the person that may or may not have done it.]

Watch it.

[Beyond that, though, he seems mostly at ease. He joins in on any non-water based games, and finds himself grinning just that little bit easier. Last month might have ended on a melancholy note for him, but it’s getting easier every day.

Until, that is, he sees movement in the water. He might grow still, staring after a dark colored fin as it swims away from him.

Probably nothing to worry about, right?]

ii. Dark Desire And Tainted Bliss — The Hotel

[Wrong. Luca finds himself staring after the sirens more often after that. None of them quite look right, and usually that’s enough to draw him out of whatever reverie he finds himself in.

Usually.

But the magic in place here seems to know what lurks within memory. All it really takes is an outfit designed with a bit more care than those found on the stage, and Luca finds himself enraptured. A dark-haired siren reaches out, caresses his cheek, and seems keen to lead him away. Luca, meanwhile, has no intention of stopping it.

It’s your call if you’ll let him go.]

iii It's Like You're Dangerous To Me. — The Hotel

[Unfortunately, Luca can’t be dissuaded forever. One day, he simply disappears. Give him about 24 hours, and he’ll return. Judging by his tousled hair and disgruntled appearance, it probably went about as well as could be expected. Doubly so when he catches anyone staring at him and snarls.]

Go away.

iv. I Notice Every Time We Meet — Wildcard

[You know what to do. Throw something my way or reach out.]

II

[foreversembrace]

[Till does not trust these Sirens as far as he can throw them, and while he won't be immune to their wiles forever...he is at least able to avoid them for now. He has no such familiarity with this one in particular, and as such, he's able to spot it as he rounds a corner and sees Luca being tempted away by one of them.

The way it's being done...it reminds him of a certain blonde-haired someone of the same name. Alluring, conniving-

It's without thinking that he rushes forward and grabs Luca by the shoulder, pulling him back sharply before he barks in the Siren's face:]

Back off.

Ain (Bluhen Route) | Elsword | Current Player

[eidxiety]

i. listless

[Ironically, those transformation mushrooms also turned Ain into a Siren, so he feels right at home here. You know, until they start trying to chew on him. That he's less tolerant of. ...except for the male Sirens, he slightly tolerates it from them, just like, a little bit.

He's depressed, okay, leave him alone let him feel something (the something is bleeding).

Anyway, when he's on land, Ain mostly wears cute floral swim trunks that accommodate the bulk of his fish tail and the weird fin-wings that transfer over between forms, and a halter top because the fins on his back demand it. He sort of wishes he could lay in bed all day, but the resort is nice and he's never seen somewhere like this, so curiosity gets the better of him and he winds up walking around for a while. It looks like there's a spa here, a sauna, and a ton of restaurants...

Are you nearby, because he's calling out to you. Hi! Heyyy!!]

Do you want to do something with me? You can pick.

ii. let's go to the beach beach

[The hell resort escape was much needed. Ain's tired of showing people his life story — it takes too long and he's done it like six times, and in general he's sick of people asking him questions and just wants to bury himself in a hole and suffocate whenever he sees his friends who aren't here again. The mental health sure is not healthing. When he's plopped on the beach, Ain immediately fishes up and heads into the sea for a long swim. Whether you join him or not is up to if you're also aquatic and/or have a raft and want to follow him.

Last time he was in this ocean, they were all trapped under it. He thinks if he swims deep enough he can find more of those leviathans and the sea base everyone was in last time, although he doesn't want to risk it... so he heads maybe halfway to it, catches a strange-looking fish on the way, and brings it back to you — whether you're on the shore or nearby in the sea — clutched in one of his tentacles.]

Do you think we can eat this?

[His monster-brain is telling him to devour this thing. Unfortunately it's on you to cook it unless you fancy eating it raw as-is, because Ain cannot be trusted around fire.]

iii. wildcard

[you know where i live]

listless

[unheiring]

[Luca takes one look at Ain being chewed on and... sighs. Look, he gets it. He was chewed on too and it did satisfy some part of him. However, it also made him feel some type of way. And honestly, watching Ain be chewed on is making him feel that very same way too. Ugh.

He prods at one of the sirens with his rapier, then smacks the flat of it across Ain's back.]

Hey. Get up. It's not nearly as sexy as you think, being eaten by them.

Knight Emperor Elsword | Elsword | New Character, Current Player

[friendshipbeams]

I. Look up to the Blue(?) Sky

[ Many people experience disorientation upon waking up in a hotel room, even if it’s where they fell asleep. There’s an inherent strangeness to the environment that leads to thoughts like, "This isn't my room" or "This isn't what I expected to see," until the mind readjusts. However, Elsword typically does not feel this way. He is accustomed to waking up in a different place each night, but the truly disorienting experience for him is waking up somewhere entirely unfamiliar. This isn't just somewhere he doesn't remember falling asleep, this is somewhere he's never seen before.

He doesn't even read the note in the room, he just finds his armor and blade and he's scrambling out the door. If you're one of the unlucky people to be accosted by this very red boy, sorry! He's just immediately going to grab someone and ask if they've seen his friends, which he'll describe in great detail. How tall they are, what color their hair and eyes are, what they smell like (??? Elsword?), their names, etcetera. You're free to interrupt him, of course, but otherwise, you'll have to deal with the descriptions of fourteen people. Good luck! At least two of them match the descriptions of Ain and Add, at least. Maybe you can help him there!

And if you are Ain or Add, well, you'll get your name yelled - practically screamed - from way down the hall where Elsword was previously interrogating a siren that seems to be having information overload, and he'll come bolting down the hall to where you are. Hi! Hello!!!!!! ]

II. In the blood and sweat spilled

[ Getting dragged around to random places is not necessarily new, but it definitely doesn't make Elsword happy. Especially now that he's had time to learn from the others about what's been going on. And it's... well, sorry, Suri, but now it's on sight for your ass. He isn't able to move immediately when he spots the fallen sun, but he is waiting to make his move, and he has not stopped glaring daggers at him, completely ignoring the stage entirely at this point.

The very second Elsword is able to move, he summons forth his sword, and with no hesitation at all, swings what appears to be just a massive fuckoff fireball towards the seats Zonari and Suri occupy. Of course, like anything else thrown their way, it just hits the magical barrier around them, but the fire scorches the walls and in a perfect ring around where the barrier is. All the while, Elsword is trying to move his way closer. ]

Come down here and fight, you coward!!

III. In the blurred night and day

[ If you manage to first catch him on the beach and not instigating problems, Elsword will be found by the beach where the sea creatures are. He doesn't know where the Grove is or even what to expect in getting there, so there's really no other goal in his heart other than "pick creature up and observe". Look at these fruit sharks??? He loves them. He is picking one up immediately and looking at you, the nearest person, with what can only be described as sparkles in his eyes. ]

Do you think they need saltwater to survive, or are they more fruit than shark? I think I can take this back, what do you think?? [ Boy that shark is trying to eat your arm?? ]

IV. the world can finally answer (Wildcard)
just send me a msg if u wanna plot bbys <3

i. ain's mental breakdown incoming

[eidxiety]

[So like.

Imagine being Ain, right. You haven't seen any of your friends in a over a year bar Add, who he went about seven, eight months without seeing. You're in the hell woods unable to escape, dealing with the horrors as they come, feeling depressed and angry all the time while your still-living partners get to feel it because for some reason you thought emotion-linking to each of them was a good idea. You've died twice and every day feels worse. Most days it's too hard to get out of bed. And then suddenly you hear a voice you've heard a million times before, and your first thought is "this is clearly an illusion".

Ain's doing great. Imagine doing this great!

And then, y'know, the whole "illusion" thing is immediately broken when he feels the El energy radiating off of Elsword, and Ain — who is currently a land-form Siren in floral trunks and a halter top and not much else — has to suddenly stop himself from getting choked up on the spot. On one hand, it's a terrible thing to have more people stuck here. On the other hand Elsword Elsword Elsword—

Clearly trying not to burst into immediate tears, happy or sad or whatever — he can't tell — Ain surges forward on his bare feet and throws himself into Elsword's arms hard enough to be a full-blown tackle-hug.]

Elsword...!!

Neku Sakuraba // TWEWY // Current Player, New Character

[wild_style]

Time, I won't ever give in //
[ You'd think by now Neku would be used to waking up in weird places. Between his impromptu naps in the street during the game and finding wherever he could to get a bit of shut eye when he was in Shinjuku, he has learned better than to be picky, but there's something especially unsettling about this one. Maybe it's that he can sense still living people around him for the first time in three years. Maybe it's that he can tell in his bones that he's not where he went to sleep at.

But either way he knows there is danger and he knows that he can't relax just yet. There's a measure of resignation to his expression as he leaves his room, a little too calm overall, but annoyed in that mild way that darkens his expression enough to be unapproachable. It's not on purpose, though. He will actually be quick to track down the next person without scales he can find. ]

Hey. Sorry, do you know what's going on here?

No matter how hard they pull me in //
[ He's yet to be the subject of one of those twisted plays himself, but he keeps coming back in the afternoons to gatecrash them. Sometimes he's let free of his confines sooner than others, but once he's let go, he always breaks up the performance, knocking the sirens back and hurrying backstage with the show's star.

It's bad enough having to go through your past the first time, he's not interested in others being tortured with performing it for strangers. The ginger kicks the door closed behind them and lets out a breath. ]

You okay?

[ Probably not, He doesn't really expect it, but some of those performances are more dangerous than others. ]

I know gravity aint an excuse //
[ At the end of the day, it is a resort, though, and Neku's been spending the last three years in near complete isolation while he pieced together what happened. Murderous attendants are something he can pretty easily deal with and all attempts to charm him slide right off.

So he's there on the edge of one of the pools with his feet in the water and a drink next to him as he doodles on a sketchbook he got from-- somewhere. Better not splash him. He seems to be in the zone. ]

I just wanna make things a little more smooth //
[ It's a relief when they're finally let out of the resort. Not that Neku had too much problem with it personally but the emotional toll it took was a little too close to what he's already dealt with for comfort and he was hoping that now he could get a better read on what things were like in this place. Especially if Joshua really wasn't behind it this time and was just as thrown off as him for once.

The sun is going down now and Neku's yet to settle in somewhere. His sleep schedule is perhaps more than a little fucked up. Don't worry about it. He's opting to take a walk along the shore either way. ]

Wildcard //
[ come get your brooding squenix protag ]

i tried to resist but i couldnt

[nyantan]

[A resort is a resort indeed! Shiki herself had taken to sort of meandering around to enjoy the sights and amenities for lack of a better option of things to do, now that she knew there wasn't really any getting away from the situation any time soon from the few veterans she'd spoken to. Yet, one thing she hadn't really expected (for whatever reason) was to ever see someone she knew, despite there being no reason for there not to be. It'd been a bit scary and lonely, thinking she was away from her friends and loved ones, the people that were her steadfast support, stranded in this place with all these strangers. They all seemed nice, sure, but...

A flash of orange hair in the distance is enough to make her pause. Her stomach churns with the sort of anxious excitement of a wishful hope, of one daring to dream that perhaps their luck had turned around a tad, and as she approached closer and closer, her excitement was confirmed: Neku! It really was Neku!! Grinning from ear to ear, she watched for a moment as he remained too engrossed in his work to notice anyone around him, finger tapping against her cheek as she debated how to catch his attention. Hmm...

This could potentially backfire if he was too antsy, but ah well. She slides up behind him and leans down, gently putting her hands in front of his eyes.]

Guess who.

[If he couldn't see right away, he wouldn't see the tears of relief pricking at the corners of her eyes, either--]

Firefly / Honkai: Star Rail / TDM

[dreamunchained]

Wake Up;

[This place was nearly as fancy as the Reverie... she'd almost be excited, if not for the degree of tension in the air this place held; not to mention the fact she still wasn't quite sure how she'd gotten here to begin with. But curiosity prevails as it so often does, and Firefly finds herself wandering to the cafe to admire the sweet treats in the little display case. She seems particularly fixated on a very prettily decorated swiss cake roll in the center of the display case, eyes wide and excited, but then she frowns.]

I don't... have any money.

[The disappointment not only in her voice, but on her face, is palpable.]

Stage Frightful; (cw: death, war, child soldiers)

[The scene is set on a girl laying on the ground, seemingly on a mutilated battlefield; the siren castmates around her are all dressed in wigs the same color as her hair, though in different styles, laying on the ground with blank expressions and parted lips. Scattered among the sirens are also props of dead bug-like creatures, some whole and some torn to pieces. Eventually she rises, like a puppet on strings, movements jerkier than they would be otherwise, to overlook the scene of destruction before her.]

Am I... dead?

[She finds herself repeating the words she'd once said long ago, as if compelled.]

Who... died...?

[She turns to look over the scene around her, it seemingly dawning on her that the answer was, well, everyone. But from off stage a siren limps forward, clutching a banner as if their life depended on it.]

Born to fight... such is the honor of Glamoth's Iron Cavalry... For Her Majesty...

[Such are the words of the actor as they fall to their knees, body giving out like everyone else around them. It doesn't take any compelling for tears to begin streaming down Firefly's face like they once had long ago, real and overflowing and stinging.]

Why... do we die...? Why... do we live?

[Firefly's gaze turns skyward, empty and broken.]

(ooc: inspiration here, see cw above. assume everyone in the scene is wearing imitations of this rather than, gestures, but with different numbers on the collars)

Ocean Views;

[There's a big robot mans kind of standing awkwardly on the beach, unsure what to do with himself. Milling around, as it were. He seems to be watching the wildlife with a steady and unwavering gaze, not that it was easy to tell with the lack of visible eyes and all, but eventually he kneels down to gently poke at the shell of a coconut crab.]

Interesting.

[When he feels eyes upon him, he turns to look, rising back to his full height. His robotic voice almost sounds a little sheepish to have been seen playing with little crabs on the beach.]

Greetings. Did you require something of me?

(ooc: here for the difference between firefly's and sam's voices. firefly uses she/her and when in her robot suit she goes by sam, and uses he/him. she will probably at first not be equating the two together as both being herself for a while.)

Wake up

[lovelyredthread]

[ He's been pacified enough to start exploring at least Pavlova Cookie is still wary enough to keep his arrows and bow on hand, but he's come out of his hiding spot and started mingling with the other people trapped here by now.

By chance he happened to be passing by when she spoke and... made a face when he saw what she was looking at. The bakery at the grove tended to be more conscious of what they displayed- he was still getting used to the fact that not everyone was aware what was and wasn't okay to eat when it came to sweets. ]

I mean I'm sure there are better things than that... did you just get here or something?

Min-Gi Park | Current Player / Current Character

[outofsynth]

THIS COULD BE HEAVEN (OR THIS COULD BE HELL)

[The hotel is definitely nicer than any of the places he and Ryan have stopped in when they're not sleeping in their van back in their own world. It's nicer even than the hotels his parents took him to when he'd been younger. Min-Gi has a feeling he'd have felt out of place no matter what, but the foreboding atmosphere is what makes sure he can't get any enjoyment out of it.

He's on edge as he wanders the corridor, mini-synth in hand and stylus at the ready in case he needs to protect himself. He's too busy staring at a waitress observing him with an overly sweet smile to notice he's walking sideways directly into someone. He yelps, hitting multiple bad notes on his synth before he finds the correct ones. The instrument screeches, then finally settles into a tinny tune as a sphere of blue light encases him... and the person he'd been trying to get away from. Lucky it wasn't a siren he'd bumped into.

Speaking of which...

Is that siren standing closer than she was before? Maybe the barrier is for the best.]

TWO MAN SHOW
(ft. Ryan Akagi)

Act 1

[The stage seems strangely empty for the opening scene. The only thing to indicate the play has started is a cheery banner announcing "Act 1!" hung across the top of the stage and two cast members. The rest of the stage almost seems more like it's supposed to be behind the scenes, only bare wood and the occasional instrument scattered around. There actually seems to be music coming from offstage. Odd.

There is no effort to hide the restraints on the two actors. Neither of them have been playing along the way they should, and they're manoeuvred without even giving them the chance to do it themselves. Min-Gi has blue strings attached, while Ryan's are red. A small tug on Ryan prompts him to start his lines.]

Where have you been, man? We're almost on!

Sorry, I was... [Min falters, breath catching. It's too early to be freaking out though. He locks eyes with someone backstage and tenses, composing himself as best he can.] I... have something for you.

[Something turns out to be a t-shirt. He pulls it from behind his back, being steered to quarter-face the audience so they can see the design scribbled on it. Ryan laughs, a hollow sound compared to his actual laughter. He puts it on as best he can with the strings, ignoring how tangled he ends up. He throws himself forward, embracing Min-Gi. ]

Amazing.

[Min-Gi's cheeks colour, but he can feel the reassuring squeeze that Ryan throws in there before he starts to pull back. Except they aren't allowed to pull apart. The hug goes on, far longer than it ever had in reality. Ryan tries a few times to step away, but is quickly corrected. Min's breath is starting to become rapid already, eyes darting around the audience he can't see in the bright light of the stage. Ryan flusters, but seeing Min-Gi's rising panic he rallies, improvising.]

Oh, dude! My dad said we could have the van. We're going on the road!

Wait, what?

[Min looks at him in genuine confusion, then away again when he realizes just how close their faces are. This isn't supposed to happen while they're still hugging, but with no sign of being released and no reprimand Ryan carries on.]

Next week!

Next... what? I don't...

[Honestly, Ryan isn't feeling much more put together than Min-Gi but one of them has to get them through this. He squeezes Min again, trying to coax him out of his head.]

This was always the plan.

[Min squeaks, remembering the conversation but unable to get the right words out.]

No. It...

[At this point Min-Gi is dragged backwards out of their forced embrace while Ryan is whirled unceremoniously around. Min-Gi is pulled off stage, while Ryan isn't allowed to look. He'd been holding it together better than Min until that moment, but his walls are visibly starting to crumble with him gone. A siren with a microphone walks onstage, beaming.]

"You're up! Are you ready?"

Act 2

[When the curtains draw back for the next scene Min-Gi and Ryan are stood in the centre, just out of reach of each other. Ryan reaches as much as the strings will allow toward Min-Gi, but it's no use. They're pulled to separate sides of the stage, in simultaneous performances.

The red strings give Ryan a hard tug and he's pulled into a small party of sirens dancing around where no one is looking at him, and tugged into a corner near a cardboard guitar and a box that's supposed to be an amp probably. At first he just glares out into the audience, but the strings force him to bend down and clumsily grab the guitar. So...fine. Whatever, he can just down this song to the one important line. He throws his voice, directing it up to the balcony:]

MY DAD'S VAN IS EVERYTHING! YOU'RE NOT!

[This is evidently good enough, as the crowd mostly clears and Ryan's pulled with so much force that he spins a little - right into the arms of a siren who caresses his face and looks into his eyes.]

"I'm sorry."

[She's not sorry. A circle of sirens forms around him and the strings lift him off of the ground. The first ex-girlfriend siren shoves him with a spin like he's a tetherball, and a more masculine siren catches him in his arms.]

"Look, it was just a one time thing. I'm not really into guys. You get it, right?"

[And it keeps going like that as he shoves him to the next partner and each and every one has something shitty to say to him. "It's OVER, Ryan!" "I can't believe I did that, I'm not some-- get out!" "Are you seriously still here?" There's barely any time to process before he's shoved to the next one like a toy.

Then the final one catches him. Holds him.]

"Thanks for the van..."

[She leans in to his ear, teeth sharp. Loud enough that the whole crowd can hear.]

"...Buuut I'm still breaking up with you."

[The sirens scatter and Ryan is lowered to ideally stand on the ground, but he's still spinning and untangling and stumbles, forcing the strings to hold him upright. On his side of the stage, he is alone.

Ryan isn't the only one expected to perform, however. Min-Gi is pulled to his own side of the stage, kept busy by three sirens who direct him through a variety of mundane tasks. A balding man bullies him into cooking and sweeping, criticizing his every move. A couple who appear to be his parents crowd him while he works, fussing at his clothes and pushing papers at him. It's visibly stressful, but he seems to be coping better this time around. He can go through the motions without kicking up a fuss. It's embarrassing, but nowhere near as bad as it was before. At least until the sirens start rejecting Ryan, then it's impossible not to keep looking over. Ryan's so clearly distressed he can't help but break, throwing down his broom and attempting to storm over to the other side of the stage. He barely even takes a step before his strings tighten, pulling him back into the arms of his parents.]

"You have more important things to do, honey."

"Don't you think it's time you grew up, Min-Gee?"

[The heavy breathing is back, but this time it's all anger. Min-Gi's fists clench, his face red. He shakes off his "parents" with uncharacteristic force, succeeding this time though the strings still keep him away from Ryan.]

It's Gi.

Act 3

The banner is back. Strange given there wasn't one for the second part. The 1 is scratched out, replaced with a 3 The curtain lifts to show them in a freeze frame, sweaty palms pressed together as Min looks in disbelief at a weakly smiling Ryan. Behind them the scene is split. Ryan is outside, cast in a warm light from the setting. Min is inside, restaurant lighting pale and harsh.]

You should... come to New York.

[Ryan gestures subtly at Min-Gi to push things along. There's definitely supposed to be more to this scene, but maybe the sirens feel like they got their embarrassment's worth out them already. There's nothing happening to stop them even after a long pause. Min-Gi still doesn't seem convinced, but braves his next line anyway.]

I have uni. I can't just leave.

[Ryan starts to grin, but it quickly falters. He knows what's coming next. Min-Gi tilts his hand forward, revealing a set of keys. He nods, smiling slightly. That does get his arm pulled back with a jolt, but it's enough for Ryan. He nods back, taking the keys.

Min's horror at the theft is anything but sincere, amped up for Ryan's benefit. He knows he feels bad about this.]

Ryan! I need to lock up.

If you won't follow your dreams, then I'll make you.

Min is held back, strings restraining him tightly as Ryan's pulled away. They're learning how to make things go more smoothly, but that doesn't mean it's always easy. It takes some effort to get him to look as though he's running away from Min-Gi rather than drag himself back to where he's being held. Once he's at the end of the stage Min is allowed to finally try and catch up. The sirens really have gone all out for their finale. A rolling backdrop maps their chase scene displaying messily scribbled parts of town until it settles to show they've boarded a train.

The backdrop splits, a bright light shining through from the other side. Ryan holds up the keys, Min-Gi giving him a sharp look and shaking his head as he realizes what he's doing. Ryan gives him a pained look, but knows he has to finish the scene. The keys disappear into the light as he tosses them, Ryan himself disappearing after them.]

Ryan!

[Shouting is pointless. He's already gone. Min-Gi gives a sigh that sounds more relieved than resigned, then follows. It's finally over.]

AFTERMATH

[Things don't feel much better once the sirens are gone. The marks from the performance are healing, but while the cuts are getting better the bruising the strings had left behind is only becoming more visible. He sits out in the sun on the beach, silently looking out to sea.

He should leave them alone, but Min-Gi's fingers trace the marks left behind absently. In Ryan's presence he's been trying to act like his usual self, but when he's out of sight? He doesn't do much beyond offer a thin smile to anyone who approaches. He will talk, but he's not about to be the one to initiate the conversation.]

Aftermath

[fluffiestsoul]

[Part of being on stage means sitting in the audience. It means that Verso gets a none too pleasant glimpse at a lot of people's lives. Maybe it would be best if he didn't say anything, lest someone try to speak to him about his own grief. But Verso swallows that urge and settles on a mask to school his expression into.

He'll give nothing but earnest interest in Min-Gi, no need to even think about delving into his own issues.]

Hey. You cleaned your cuts lately?

[He holds out a roll of bandages and a bottle of liquid.]

Wouldn't do to get infected out here.

Yoshiya "Joshua" Kiryu | The World Ends With You | hello........ it's me...........

[leggierissimo]

i. 「all the world's a stage」 - The Hotel

[ If Joshua had a ¥5 coin for every time he found himself trapped on the beach, he'd have two ¥5 coins. Which isn't much, but it's funny that it's happened twice.

At least this time, it's in a fairly classy little hotel. Nevermind the apocalyptic skies outside, of course. The note has told him all he needs to know there, and of course it's his doing. Joshua has to admit, though. He has decent taste. So far.

Other than the sirens, and the sky being on fire, it isn't all that bad. Uninterested in the pool, the beach, or the gym, he's taken to personally testing the restaurants and the cafe. The latter seems to have caught his interest for one thing in particular, and you might catch him wandering around with a cup of something steaming hot. Whether asked or not, he will give his expert opinion on it anyway. ]

I'm not usually big on sweets, but it's hard to beat the sea salt caramel macchiato. Heavy on the sea salt, of course. Find me a unique flavor like that anywhere else.


ii. 「and we are merely players」 - The Theater (cw: suicidal ideation)

[ Like everyone else, Joshua is not immune to being pulled on-stage for a performance. The majority of what is being put on display isn't of any consequence to him, but all the same, having some parts of himself put on display is… uncomfortable, to say the least.

Like the way that the sirens are such poor actors, for one. The quality of this production leaves something lacking. He can see Suri up in the balcony seating, too, and really, he thought the man had taste.

But the production is particularly vicious, even with its poor quality. It digs deep into the spiral he'd fallen into, the depression and apathy highlighted by out of character comments by the siren actors, the way he's forced to speak of his intent to take out Shibuya, and himself along with it. No sugar coating, no dodging. No longer is it wiping Shibuya to save the neighboring districts - it's wiping Shibuya to bring an end to his own suffering.

And yet, all he can do is stand by, struggling to break from the hold placed on him. ]


iii. 「wildcard」

[ if you want to do anything different, hit me up, you know where to find me! ]

ii. As discussed.......

[wild_style]

[ Neku always seems to be an unwilling pawn in someone's game, useful either in the misery he's in or the misery he causes others. It isn't a surprise when, after his several counts of play-crashing he was inevitably dragged backstage himself. He's prepared to end up acting out the worst years of his life, content in the knowledge that it couldn't possibly be more humiliating than it was the first time through...

Except he's not shoved onstage first thing. He's shuffled to the side and he hears Joshua's voice. An awful clarity falls over him realizing that he's not here to reinact his worst years. He's here to reprise his role in Joshua's.

It takes time for his curtain to rise, the strings bind him tightly as he attempts to fight free of his bindings to no avail. He doesn't see very much, but he hears every incriminating word.

The curtain rises on the udagawa set. The crude immitation of CAT's work serving as the backdrop of their ill-fated reunion.

Neku opens his mouth, Joshua's name on his lips, but the sound doesn't come, he can only look at the glinting metal in the stage light and hope he can dodge. ]

Mizuki | Arknights (blanket cw for Implied Cannibalism)

[mooninthewater]

I. My eyes wide open underneath the sun

[ Clearly the most important thing to do when whisked off to a different location is to (checks notes) assert yourself into the kitchen and make everyone breakfast. Right?

No?

Well, that's too bad, because that's what Mizuki is doing. He very politely relocates (read: tentacles hoists) any sirens that might be in there, and shuts himself in to get busy. Perhaps... also being a sort-of cannibalistic siren leaves him less to be desired? Or maybe it's just because he goes offering his own tentacles to any siren that seems to try to be hungry that's just... off-putting?

Whatever the case, there's one technically siren here, waving you down. He cannot sing or speak thanks to the forest taking his voice away, but he still does his best to get your attention, anyway. He sets down a plate of pancakes topped with bits of bacon and... something else. It makes it look incredibly unappetizing, but... it does smell good. And it's probably less dangerous than what the other creatures are serving, right? ]

II. Follow the feeling, but patiently waiting

[ Mizuki didn't initially think much of the sirens pulling people away. He, of course, still followed them just in case they decided to eat the people they were stealing away, but that is inevitably Mizuki's downfall in the end. Camouflage or not, it's not like Mizuki is totally invisible, and so when he's pulled into the theater and forced onto the stage, it's... hm.

It's certainly an experience.

Unfortunately, since Suri had taken Mizuki's voice, it isn't like he could go acting anything out. Not unless he's meant to A) sign, which Suri doesn't understand, or B) use text-to-speech on his phone, which doesn't exactly make for entertaining stage play. Fortunately, though, it seem like when he's finally ushered onto the stage, whatever memory has been chosen to play out is one Mizuki doesn't really talk much in, anyway. In fact, that genuine confusion and way Mizuki looks around in an attempt to put together what's going on goes impeccably well with the scene.

Lines of pews. The sirens are in cult church robes. One of them has a platter full of... uhh... mud? That's not right. Hm. Well, it's set down in front of Mizuki, anyway. He just sort of stares at it for a while.

...

After a moment of putting things together, Mizuki finally shrugs his shoulders in a silent laugh, and he pulls his phone out after giving both Zonari and Suri a little wave. Soon after, the phone will read his text out: ]

This memory makes less sense if what I'm eating isn't God Flesh, you know. I don't suppose you'd have some to make this more authentic~?

[ He seems to be genuine. Which probably makes this worse. ]

III. I lose my fears to oblivion

[ Once they're back on the beach, around the strange food-amalgamation animals and such, of course Mizuki is drawn over to the sea monkey tides. He does not have a Bone Ring, and as such, doesn't actually know what they're saying, but he is very enthusiastically taking pictures of their establishments. They did so much while he was gone!!! Wow!!!

Once he's done properly taking notes of their accomplishments and such, he even takes some hard boiled egg yolks as a treat and gently scatters them around the edges of the populated areas. ]

IV. Wildcard
As always, hmu on discord if u wanna plot smth.

[outofsynth]

[Min-Gi can't understand them either, but he's fascinated by how much they're thriving.]

People used to have these as pets when I was a kid. I don't think I've ever seen them look as healthy as this though.

stelle/the trailblazer | honkai: star rail (CRAU)

[starcinoma]

hotel c[a]lifornia

[ for the third time in a row, stelle falls straight from one dream into another.

it's far from the first time she's awakened in a hotel room she doesn't recognize. it's not even the first time she's risen to a blood-red sky and the scent of brine. at this point in her short life, it's just par for the course - another dangerous place, another dreamscape to wander. and so she gathers what little she's arrived with and heads out to explore the premises, hoping to find familiar - or at least friendly - faces.

that was the plan, at least. at this point, she'll settle for not dying of heatstroke.

passersby through the resort might notice a new face - a strange girl, somewhere between deer and fairy. more to the point, they might notice the small crowd of mocking sirens that have gathered around her to watch.

listen. it's not her fault she's gotten her antlers tangled up in a clothes line. this happens to people all the time, she's sure. just. maybe help her out a bit? ]

the basement [b]allet
cw: implied violence, implied dismemberment, implied eye trauma

[ the night's entertainment comes as it always does. the muted sounds of struggle; hooves angrily slamming against a ground, abruptly silenced. and then-

the curtain rises. stelle, limp and exhausted, stands at center stage amidst a sea of puppets on strings. the bat she carries is nowhere to be seen, replaced instead by a makeshift knife in one hand; the puppets all around her carry weapons too, sharp and blunt and visibly bloodied.

a chorus of sirens sings, swelling in the pit; a briny fog hisses, dropping down from the ceiling around the dancers. and all at once, the ballet begins.

dozens of puppets jerkily swing, clawing at one another as stelle is dragged from spot to spot. at first, stelle refuses to swing; she reaches out, swats hands away, ducks beneath well-choreographed stabs and rolls with each frantic punch. but the fog around her is overwhelming, and when a knife reaches too close, draws the first blood from her skin-

the tone of the act shifts. the chorus swells, triumphant; stelle's motions become fluid, less like a limp body on strings. she dances from body to body, cuts strings and watches them fall limp; a doll with a black-haired wig approaches with a lance, and with a sudden brutality she cuts straight through its arm. the music builds to a crescendo; one by one, the dolls go limp until only one remains. stelle lunges, swings- and is grabbed by wooden hands, lifted upright as if she weighs nothing. wooden fingers stroke at her cheek, moving towards her eye-

the curtain falls, darkness abruptly overtaking the stage. a pained wail echoes out, in unison with the last notes of the chorus. and just like that, the performance is over, the curtain raising to reveal stelle unharmed. she pants, desperate to catch her breath; her right hand covers her eye, fear plain in her face.

and for a while, she just... sits there, forcing herself to catch her breath. ]

wild[c]ard

[ looking for something else? just drop an idea for a starter here, or private plurk me at bbcakes. i'm happy to work things out or answer questions there! ]

[fluffiestsoul]

[The plays are merciless, Verso is learning. And after watching the young girl, hair of silver just a shade too close to someone else, he can't help but feel an ache within his chest. Nevertheless, he keeps his approach casual and light. He doesn't face her, but instead leans on the stage nearest her and stares out at the crowd.]

Not very entertaining, is it?

[It's hard to say if he's talking to the girl, or the audience. He does glance toward her after he speaks, though.] Need a hand down?

Stephanie Brown | DC Comics

[ichoosefight]

The Big Show

[ichoosefight]

It begins with a boy. Steph, in a purple suit and hood, runs into Robin and introduces herself as "Spoiler". The two flirt badly like the teenagers they are, then join Batman and beat up Steph's dad, the Cluemaster. After that it's a badly written teen romance, and it's clear that Steph isn't even the main character. Oracle and Cass make brief appearances, but the most attention Steph gets is being told she isn't good enough and she should quit. Repeatedly. By everyone. She doesn't even learn Robin's name until nearly halfway through the show.

The tone changes when Batman and Robin have a dramatic breakup. Steph is made to cartwheel across the stage as Robin, followed by a training montage in which Batman never even takes off his mask. Then it's her first mission. She bungles things spectacularly, the villain gets away, and Batman is injured. Back in the cave, he tells her she's fired.

"I told you if you disobeyed my orders you were out. You disobeyed my orders. You're out."

From that point on, the mask stays off. Steph's expression is... odd. Frozen. She prints something out from the computer. The scene changes. Mobsters gather in a dark alley. Spoiler, hood down, watches from a balcony. They've all been called here by an unknown third party. The mobsters get nervous. Suddenly the scene erupts in gunfire, and just as suddenly, everyone in the alley is dead.

Steph did this. She called them here. This wasn't part of the plan.

The next scene is chaos. Gangs fight in the streets over territory and lines of succession. Fires break out, police cars and ambulances are tipped over, civilians die. The heroes are fighting, and Steph is just trying to survive as she searches for something.

"There's only one person who can stop this," she says robotically before crossing the stage, now the rooftops of Gotham, to meet a man in a helmet. "You're the only one who can take control of the situation," she tells him.

Then someone in a black skull mask appears from nowhere to slit his throat. He steps over the body to knock Steph out. The next scene opens in what looks like a torture chamber in someone's basement. Steph is about to be chained to the wall when she feels something loosen in the air.

It's the halfway point.

She snaps. Suddenly she's a blur of motion, attacking the siren with a speed and ferocity he clearly wasn't expecting. She gets in a few good hits before he starts to fight back, to the raucous cheers of the rest of the sirens on the stage. She's holding her own... for now.

Cy | The Wild Road | Current Player, New Character

[sparkplugs]

Overall CW for themes of animal experimentation. I will minimize this as much as possible, but it's important to be aware of when interacting with Cy.

EXPLORATION

[The hotel is like nothing Cy has ever seen. She explores with the inquisitiveness of a kitten, perhaps at first even appearing to be one. Even full grown the tabby is small, and frequently as ungainly as if she were taking her first steps. Large yellow eyes take up much of her face, a patch of white on her chin making her appear even more off-kilter than she does already. She isn't the most well kept cat. Her fur is matted and besides a few small patches where it looks like she might have attempted to lick herself before becoming bored is quite dirty. When she's outside a small piece of metal in her forehead largely hidden by her fur glints in the sunlight.

The little tabby is endlessly busy. She gathers up "treasures" she finds, making patterns with them in the sand. Most of the things that catch her attention are shiny. She especially seems to enjoy cutlery she finds in the restaurants and used wrappers, but there's no true pattern to the things she claims. Sometimes she'll take rocks and feathers. At other times she whisks towels bigger than she is away from unsuspecting pool goers.

She has no fear of the other guests, making no effort to avoid them. She will happily approach if she thinks she may get attention from them. The same can't be said of the waitstaff. She spits and hisses whenever the sirens get too close, looking tiny even with her back arched and fur on end.]

I can pull your strings too, you know.

[Despite the boldness of her words she doesn't ever seem to follow through and does her best to keep her distance. She's scared of them and would much rather stay away.]

OCEAN VIEWS

[After it's all over, it's almost as though she's forgotten it completely. She doesn't mourn her lost treasures, or even appear to be concerned the sirens may come back again. She takes to life at the beach as though she's been there forever and almost looks as if she has. Sand clings to the tabby like it's always been a part of her.

She chatters away to the the seamonkeys, and chases the coconut crabs with apparently endless energy. Even at night she never seems to sleep. She sits surrounded by motes of coloured lights, gazing out to sea sometimes for hours on end. It's hard to see in the dark, but tiny fish swim to the edge of the shore, drawn to be as close as they can to her with the distance she keeps between herself and the water.

If anyone is feeling down after the events of the month Cy does her best to address that too. It may be best not to sit down too near her if you don't want a lap full of a cat who smells of old seaweed and has a purr that resembles a broken down engine.]

WILDCARD

PM me either here or my plurk (thlayli) if you have other ideas!

ii

[notsonewbie]

[Meryl has largely done her best to avoid people after her own performance. A cute cat on the beach, though? What could possibly go wrong with that. She does indeed sit down near Cy, oh so casually holding her hand out to the side in the hopes of enticing her over. Who wouldn't love a little kitty?]

Are you lost out here little guy? Must be nice. A big beach, all to yourself.

Naminé | Kingdom Hearts | TDM

[chainofmemories]

a;

[Naminé is in a little bit of a predicament. You see, there are attendants all around her trying to offer her towels, a cool beverage, something to eat, a massage, you name it, and she looks completely overwhelmed.]

No, really, I...

[Her attempts to turn away their offers fall on deaf ears as it devolves into the siren's arguing over who would help her and totally not eat her, with her stuck in the middle of the pack of them rather helplessly. Her hands are clasped against her chest as she looks around somewhat urgently for a means of escape, her eyes catching your own through the pack with a begging look that just screamed "help".]

b;

[Stationed under the shield of an umbrella poolside, Naminé seems to be busy drawing away in a sketchbook, look up between it and the pool area on and off and occasionally tapping the pencil against her cheek with a thoughtful hum. Occasionally the pencil is exchanged for a colored pencil from the table next to her, and her brow scrunches in concentration as she colors in part of whatever it is she'd been drawing.

It's possible it's a drawing of you from across the pool! It might just be the environment! Maybe you should come find out what she's so keenly staring at?]

c;

[Rather than the metaphorical marionette strings, Naminé was being puppeted by real strings on stage. Starting with her trapped in a cage, it seems to be some sort of odd interpretative ballet dance between her and several other actors (not on strings themselves) with no audible dialogue, though if you're close enough you can see sweat beading on her brow as tears prick at the corners of her eyes. The intentions behind it seem to mean more to her than it makes sense to anyone else watching, necessarily; it might be a good idea to break it up before it goes too much further, if you have the chance.]

c

[wild_style]

[ There's a time and place for subtlety and these performances were not it. The moment he's able to free himself from his seat sees Neku hopping onstage and slicing the strings with a wave of his arm.

Whether she recognizes him or not, he certainly doesn't know her. The ginger sidesteps a lunging siren and tugs Namine up to her feet. ]

C'mon. Let's get you out of here.

[ He doesn't offer a "how". He simply sends out a shockwave, knocking the sirens back and... a moment later they're backstage by the doors. They don't have a lot of time but he figures she might need a second to catch her breath. ]

Thorns | Arknights | Current Player

[sailingfor]

I. Pirate Battle!

[Oh Suri he hates your ass so much.

Despite the Corruption flowing through him, Thorns is not at all loyal, and Suri is going to have to try very hard to turn Thorns fully to his side. But sure, he'll put on a play if a play is demanded just to get out of the situation — although he really isn't one for acting. It's really unfortunate that Nene got left behind, because Nene is sort of an integral part to this whole story considering he's the little guy that both drove Thorns insane and kept him grounded throughout this story, but.

Whatever.

He does demand that the set look a bit more like a pirate ship before he does this, though, and that instead of the ocean, there's sand and bone dragged onto the stage to emulate the salt desert. This sand quite literally nearly gets dropped on his head, and probably yours if you're in the front row. Sorry.]

Gracias, cabrón.

[And, well, Thorns' entire venture just getting on the ship is long enough; so long in fact that he cuts it down to some simple narration of his initial attempts at crossing the salt flat. This explanation does not include the three other times he could have died out there, but does include a brief scene where Thorns has his hands tied behind his back and is standing on an execution platform with a rope around his neck while a random siren dressed as an old Iberian Inquisitor goes on and on and on about sin. He goes to pull the lever to "hang" Thorns, although knowing Suri this just may be a real execution, but suddenly a whole ton of pirate extras rush in and storm the town.

There's silence from the fake audience, which you happen to be in. It seems "people", aka the source of whatever fake applause happened when Thorns described falling off the back of a saltfin, don't know what's going on, so Thorns goes back into narration mode.]

The, ah... Iberian Inquisition in Áaron is particularly driven by the idea that all sin comes from simply wanting — food, money, a life of one's own — moreso than the rest of the Inquisition tends to be. They falsely believed me to be a pirate— [and he suddenly has to dodge a rapier from stabbing him so that it can slash the rope around him, which Did Not Happen but Whatever You Want Suri,] —and I suppose being rescued by them didn't help. So, we ran.

[And Thorns, free of his rope, quite literally runs to the edge of the stage and leaps off, as he'd done back then. Instead of a stage, it had been a cliff, and he'd jumped right onto the back of a salt-sailing ship with the crew. The lights go out, and he has to awkwardly scramble back onto the stage for the next scene... the order of events is quite out of sorts since this took several months, but when the lights come back on, it seems he's standing in a swiftly-changed iteration of the ship, under the deck where his workshop was. Or is, currently. Hm.

In terms of action, this part has minimal excitement; Thorns acts out the process of studying the Corazonix, which is what gives his arm that silver sheen these days, though he largely keeps it covered for this scene in particular. Various costumed sirens stand around watching him do science with a careful hand over what is undoubtedly a blorp of mercury instead of an actual alchemical component. In the back of his mind he's sort of rolling his eyes because this is super not what happened; he had a week on this, he had to bargain with his life for this, he had to put someone else's life on the line for this and had to leave the ship when he failed the first time... but it has to fit into whatever allotted runtime he was given, apparently. Maybe the duo with mind powers up there decided to cut out the fluff, he doesn't know.

Eventually, Thorns does have to break the timeline a bit and use the actual Corazonix to show what happened next, which was, in short, the metal-like alchemy component physically fusing with him through wounds in his arms, something he has to describe out loud or else the sudden surge of his own liquid metal arm into said liquid metal arm is not going to make a lick of sense. He cares enough to explain to the real audience (that's you!) what's going on, at least, though his description of liquid metal entering the wounds several explosions had torn into him is quite visceral and graphic. Hopefully you didn't eat before coming in.

Then, the next scene shakes the stage (and likely this whole auditorium), and the next pirate battle has begun. At this point Thorns is fully entrenched in the crew of La Conquista, and runs "up onto the deck" (the stage only somewhat changes with these fake running motions) to meet with an actor dressed as Anastasio, and he almost breaks character to drag his hand down his face. He knew this was coming, but still. Unlike the antagonist he immediately engages in a battle with — rapiers clashing, the bone-covered gun being shot just over Thorns' shoulder where he swears he feels the bullet graze his ear — Thorns remains silent throughout this. Anastasio, however, monologues. About sin, about desire, about how the alchemist himself must die, about how Anastasio himself cannot die until he atones for his sins — of wanting, of being a starving child in Iberia whose mother killed and cooked his father solely so that they could live. It's so very dramatic and so like the real thing that when it comes time for Thorns to leap off the side of the ship's setpiece and "fall into the salt flat", he almost forgets. It takes getting slashed across the chest with a real rapier for him to snap out and remember, right, he's not in Iberia. He's acting in a shitty play about his part of it.

He throws himself off the side of the ship, what was a sheer fall of hundreds of feet merely a good five as he rights himself, uses fake steam from a fake steam vent to fly back up, brandishes his sword, and "slashes" the Anastasio-siren across the throat. He obviously doesn't hit, but the siren pretends to die and fall overboard anyway, all while Thorns scrambles back up onto the deck and lays flat on it for a moment.

God, why is he doing this.

He stands, a bit shaky because that rapier slash really got him while he wasn't paying attention, and brandishes his rapier skywards. This seems like a good place to end this farce, even though there was a whole lot of shit after this — saying goodbye to a lot of his friends, steering the ship out to sea, the works — and so Thorns shouts his triumph to the rafters and the curtains close.

Now to drag his sorry ass off the stage and go clean his wounds out.]

II. Post Pirate Battle!

And that's not the order it happened in in the first place, [hi sorry did you even see the play? no?? too bad thorns is ranting to you anyway] because the first thing I did was actually have my blade broken by that pink-haired Inquisitor in the salt flat when I thought I had the upper hand. Then, I had saved Pascuala from him by luring the Inquisitor over the site of a saltfin's attack, and Pascuala wasn't mentioned nor made a character in the play.

[Do you even care about this, one wonders? Thorns is just ranting at you.]

And my partner Elysium was left out as well. [This one grinds his gears the most.] Actually, that may have been for the best, as there were some children in the audience...

[Bro, what WERE you and Elysium doing in the workshop of La Conquista?]

Not only that, but— [he's just gonna go on, you'd better stop him.]

III. wildcard

[go fight tag]

II.

[sparkplugs]

[She did see the play and is rather grumpy about it, though perhaps not as much as the one forced to perform it. Whether he realises she can understand or not she listens with rapt attention for an impressively long time for her.]

You can't fit it all in, cap'n. You have to leave room for the intermission.

Shadow Milk Cookie | Cookie Game | Current Player

[jesterlies]

Emperor of the Moon CW: Allusions to suicide

[Shadow Milk did not go easily. He fights like a Beast, but likely from Suri's own doing, he's rendered helpless. Perhaps the strings he so loves to manipulate himself have been turned on him much sooner than the stage in order to make him compliant. He seethes with hatred as he is dressed and dolled up. As he is forced to don clothing he never wanted to see again. As he wears a shitty, party-city quality wig dusted in glitter, with a little paper crown placed upon his head. He is dragged to the stage, up onto a poorly made tower and the curtain rises.]

[Music plays, the lights dim, a spotlight shines upon him in his makeshift tower, ten, maybe twenty feet in the air. He cannot speak, there are strings around his throat. All he can do is watch.]

[Someone comes out on stage and begins to narrate.]

The Comedy of The Fallen Virtues, begins with the first. O' Light of Knowledge, whose Witch's granted duty was to teach, to inform, and to guide Cookiekind on a path to enlightenment- and yet there was no one to guide you.

[A canned laughter begins to ring out, as the strings force Shadow Milk to raise a hand up to the sky, as if asking the moon for guidance or something. Nothing happens. Silence from the sky above. More laughter.]

[A crowd of extras, sirens dressed in various cloaks and rags, all wearing masks. They all begin to crowd around his tower, hands reaching as though desperate. The tower begins to rock ominously but Shadow Milk is being forced to remain still, holding his arms out.]

Too weak, too easily smothered and burdened with his sacred duty, The Fount of Knowledge began to buckle under the weight of the people's expectations. "Give us the Truth!" They would cry, and when the Fount of Knowledge did his duty, they would turn and lash, for the bitterness of Truth was too much for them to bear.

The Fount grew weary, alone in his tower suffocating under his burden. Why would they spurn him for doing what was asked?

[The canned laughter rings out, the Sirens in the audience laughing. Suri also, probably laughing.]

Until one day, the Fount had an idea. He began to lie. The people believed him without question, after all, he was the Fount of Knowledge and only spoke Truth, so for what reason would he have to lie? The Fount reveled in this, for the people accepted his lies with glee and he was finally free.

Or was he?

[The strings holding him become visible, and new ones suddenly wrap around him. They are almost thorny, these knew ones. He chokes in pain as the grab him by the arms, by the neck, by parts of him unseen.]

Deceit was not so easy to bear, either. Deceit hurt like poison in his veins. The poison of guilt. He had bitten from the forbidden apple of lies and with it suffered even more. Alone, he began to unravel. Became bitter. He looked to his fellow virtues-

[Actors dressed as the other Beasts, the other Virtues come out, Slowly from the ceiling, apples on strings begin to descend. Each one taking it and biting.]

Well, if he had to Fall it was only fair they did, right? Oh, what a twisted shell of grief and deceit our Fount of Knowledge had become. And still, he knew no peace. Still, it tore at him from inside. Unbearable pain-

[Canned laughter as Shadow Milk is forced to writhe in pain upon his tower. Though his throat is bound, sounds still make it out, choked and pained.]

There was but one thing to do.

[Stage hands rush out, laying down a flat white tarp in front of the tower, something meant to represent ...a river maybe? The Person dressed as Elder Faerie shakes his head.]

The Fount of Knowledge, broken under the weight of his own contradictions. Poor sorry thing, he know longer knows what he desires.

[The strings pull him forward, and almost in a graceful motion, he walks off the edge of the tower, plummeting to the stage below.]


The Servant of Two Masters.

[Having woken up next to Ourania's statue, Shadow Milk huffs a tired sound, says something to the effect of "Better Late than Never, huh?" before he shuffles off in a daze to investigate the beach area. Lily had told him about this place.]

[He can be found resting in one of the cabanas, reading a book. Perhaps waiting for someone to collect him while he dissociates about how much he wants to burn that stupid hotel to the ground.]

[Someone should teach him about sunscreen. He's a cookie, after all.]

Servant of two masters

[lovelyredthread]

[ Better late than never is right. Pavlova would usually be running around splashing in the water and playing, but he's... he's tired. Emotionally and physically.

He's not going to bother his dad much, he just climbs up next to him on the couch and tries not to put too much pressure on his wings as he leans into his side. ]

kiera aurelius / original / current character

[cryopathy]

i. restaurant.
[why is it always oceans and beaches with this fucking creature. it's like he wants to torture kiera specifically.

they avoid the beach entirely, and do their best to steer clear of the sirens -- they stink of blood -- but it's quite a bit harder to do the latter. most days, they refuse to leave their room, but they might still be found haunting a cafe at times, to get their fill of desserts and drinks. they don't hesitate to lash out at any siren that gets too comfortable, and even fling icicles at those who disturb other nearby patrons.]

Watch yourself.

-

ii. theatre.
cw: allusions to child abuse, parent death, alcoholism, basically waterboarding, emetophobia

prologue.

the silent play opens on a fairytale forest of glowing fungi and lichens. a pink-haired kiera is below two tiered platforms, upon the first of which stands a man with the same pink hair and indigo eyes. on the highest, a blue-haired woman in a glittering crown and enormous costume butterfly wings sits upon a throne. the woman orders glasses brought to kiera that contain a thick, crimson liquid. kiera's face contorts as they drink glass after glass, unable to stop themself. a cardboard sun and moon pass over the stage repeatedly to denote the passage of time. eventually, the woman points off-stage, sending kiera away. the scene changes.

act i.

shredded paper blows across the all-white stage. there's the sound of deafening winds. kiera and a siren dressed as luca enter from opposite sides of the stage, eventually meeting in the center. luca takes kiera's hand and they begin to walk. the sun and moon rotate faster as the seasons change and the siblings walk through renova, various characters joining and leaving them. repeat companions include a man identical to the watchtower bar phantom, and a freckled girl and her family. in real time, kiera's hair bleaches to white. eventually, they walk offstage and the lights dim.

act ii.

when the lights return, the day/night cycle is frozen. kiera walks in to find luca centerstage, catatonic on his knees, and their father, the watchtower figure, prone and drenched in blood.

luca is taken away by healers and cyrus' body is brought to the back of the stage, a cardboard funeral pyre rising in his place. kiera whips out a magnifying glass and "investigates" around the stage. a couple more days pass before they appear to have a eureka! moment.

they rush to their freckled friend, whose own father looms protectively. kiera repeatedly attempts to pull their friend away, but eventually the father gestures with rage and produces a knife, stepping toward kiera. the friend steps between them to wrestle with her own father, and he soon falls to the ground, bloody from where his own dagger has killed him. kiera stares in shock, but their friend appears... saddened, but not surprised.

the lights flicker. now, there are two funeral pyres in the background. luca joins his sibling and their mutual friend on stage for only a moment, then walks off of it entirely, through the crowd and out of the building.

epilogue.

again, the scene changes. kiera now sits at a bar. a siren hands them a very real bottle of wine, the entirety of which they drink in one go. the sun and moon begin to flip back and forth at blinding speed. another bottle is produced from behind the bar, then downed by kiera. they begin a third, but they gag, unable to swallow it down fast enough. a fourth is placed in their hand, which they can't pull away from their own lips. the wine pours out around their mouth as they choke. it's only on the fifth bottle that kiera seems to successfully break from suri's spell. they freeze the bottle from within in an instant, and it shatters. shards of glass cut into kiera's hand and face as they collapse onstage, wheezing and coughing up wine.

-

iii. beach.
[by the time they grove residents are permitted to return to their own beach, kiera has had quite enough of water and wine for the time being. they slink around in the form of an odd-eyed white wolf, still doing their best to avoid other people. but being so constantly on edge is exhausting, and someone inevitably finds a Big Buppy passed out behind their cabana.]

-

iv. wildcard.
[[ u know the drill ]]

i.

[outofsynth]

[With how close that siren had been getting he should be grateful for the interference, but somehow the icicle striking the one that had been offering to "serve" him only makes him more tense.]

Thanks.

[His voice is so very high right now.]

Nicholas D. Wolfwood | Trigun Stampede | Current Player

[lupusxylem]

A) Wake Up | By the Pool | OTA

[Wolfwood wakes up changed, yet again. He's covered in scales (a familiar feeling, by this point), yet feeling weirdly parched (also familiar), and it doesn't take long of him being awake to realize he's some sort of fish thing. A Siren himself, specifically, which he'll realize once he realizes that he's surrounded by the same predators on all sides. Genuinely, at this point, it's just another day ending in Y as he picks up the note by his bed with his claws, both reading its welcome and the "secret" written on it.

He crumples it in his fist and throws it almost lazily to the floor.]

Fuck off. Fuck you.

[And then he's up to his feet, his long, fat tail dragging the floor as he leaves and beelines it to one of the pools. They have a beach back in the Grove so that's nothing new or particularly special, and though you'd think he'd be more attracted to the surf and sand as a fish...well, he can't fucking swim so lol. He's not even going to attempt it, as much as he wants to succumb to his instincts right now.

The pool seems safer, to that end.

Wolfwood won't be hard to find as he's practically spilling out of one of the chairs safely pulled back from the water's edge, splayed out with his shades on. This pool happens to be outdoors, and though he's already plenty dark, what's laying in the sun(???) to get an even deeper tan going to hurt at this point? Might even sleep here, fuck it.]

Stage Frightful | OTA

[It was inevitable that Wolfwood would get taken, forced onto the stage. But funnily enough, at least from his perspective, what gets shown is tame compared to the awful other things Suri could have picked. It's not like everyone who isn't new has forgotten that he's an assassin. He kills people. Has killed people.

But maybe what Suri wants everyone to see is the coldness. The mercilessness of it all.

It's a simple enough scene. An unnamed figure without a face is clearly fleeing across the desert sands at night, having taken their chance at tasting freedom. Maybe they finally needed out, or maybe they realized after it was already too late that it wasn't what it was promising them.

But you see, when you become part of the Eye of Michael, you do not simply leave. It's Wolfwood's job to make sure you don't.

The escapee spots him at the top of the dunes. He's a wraith, a monster, staring down at him from on high with the Punisher at his back, and in a moment of terror, the fleeing man pulls out his gun and fills Wolfwood with lead. Wolfwood's made to show off every jerk and pull of the bullets knocking him back as he's sprayed with them dead-on. They hit every vital organ imaginable. He should die instantly.

But he remains slumped upright, like a marionette with its strings cut, and mimes putting something into his mouth. He's forced to tilt his head back and drink, and after a few seconds go by, he's standing again as if nothing happened. He coolly, calmly lifts the cross up to his shoulder and centers the sights. The man at the bottom of the hill screams with horror and tries to run, shot dead with a single round without so much as a word from Wolfwood, who has done this hundreds of times before.

Once an attack dog, always an attack dog.]

C) Seamonkey Society | Tidepools | OTA

[They're back, just like that, after all that.

Wolfwood doesn't particularly want to continue fielding peoples' potential questions about what they saw him do on stage, because at this point there's nothing more to really tell. He's just tired of it, frustrated that he got dragged in and forced to sing and dance for Suri yet again, so for a short while he makes himself scarce. Fortunately for those who might worry, he isn't difficult to find at his size.

He's watching the little Seamonkeys who apparently just have gained sentience in the time he saw them last, though he doesn't have a Bone Ring so he can't understand what they're trying to ask him.

Still something to do, though.]

A) hello :)

[thebladebringstheflame]

[Meanwhile, Flamebringer somehow muchroom-gacha'd back into a normal guy, which has been nice insofar as fitting into buildings. The dragon blessing bits remain, but he's used to those. Honestly, being back to his normal height is kind of nice, even if he's still extremely tall.

He's carrying around a whole giant-ass frozen marg, dressed like a douche —sunglasses on and too-short swim trunks and a plain white shirt open to show off all the scars and piercings. His grippers are out for free, even. Maybe he's taking this resort thing too casually, maybe he's just overconfident (hint: he's overconfident, the Sirens literally cannot get him he's still armed), but either way he's vibing.

Then he spots Wolfwood and whistles, pivoting and walking over to the water's edge.]

Hey, dickbag, you're taking up the whole pool with your fat ass.

[(Affectionate) (seriously though you're huge Wolfwood)]

Till | Alien Stage | Current Player

[foreversembrace]

A) Wake Up | Restaurant | OTA

[Till is so, SO glad to have legs again. No more paws, no more fur, no more weird antennae.

Yes...he still has a tail. He has horns that curve back from his forehead. He even has dark grey bat-like wings that fold against his back, and his skin turns black at the tips of his extremities. But it's far and away better than what he was dealing with before, so he'll take it.

Maybe someone will explain to him the symbolism behind demons, and he'll be a little less okay with it. Or, maybe he'll embrace it, knowing he's never really been a good person to begin with.

He's at one of the restaurants, because while he doesn't trust any of this...he's never going to be able to resist food in this place. It's actual food for one, and it's easy to become addicted to food when you've actually tasted it for the first time. One of the restaurants Till visits is actually a place that does fondue, which he's wholly unfamiliar with. What do you mean they just give you a giant pot of melted cheese with a bunch of shit to dip into it?

He may just spend all his time here, unless someone stops him. But also, being a person who is not...completely familiar with food that isn't in gelatin form, he doesn't know what's considered "weird". So dipping bread, or vegetables into the cheese? That's normal, expected even.

Dipping fruit? Chocolate? That's a little more. Uh.

And if he catches you staring, he'll just kindof glare back, like:]

What?

B) Stage Frightful | CW: Human Slavery, Abuse, disassociation | OTA

[He's on the stage, but not on the stage at the same time. It's not the stage, but it doesn't matter. All it takes is an inkling of familiarity to rocket you into a panic attack.

He's not sure how it came to this. He'd been doing such a good job of resisting the Sirens, if not outright ignoring them. But if he had to guess...it was one who particularly stuck out to him, with long, flowing pink hair, and eyes that felt too familiar for him to look away. All it took was a moment of weakness, and by then it was far too late.

Now, he's standing stock still on the stage, and it's not just due to what he's being made to do. He's reenacting it exactly as it happened, looking dead in the eyes with his fists balled tight at his sides as a Siren mimicking one of the Segyein shoves a microphone into his face. They press it into him so hard that it curls his lip, but he refuses the advance, jerking back and turning his head away. This at least he can do, because it's what happened.

And what also happened was the second, much larger Segyein surging forward in a fit of rage, towering over Till as he grabs him harshly by the mouth, jerking his head upright.

He's then shoved down, head over a table, forced to look at a piece of paper that has something written across it that only Till can see, hidden from the eyes of any onlookers. It hurts as much now as a false recreation as it did back then, and honestly Till doesn't even really have to be forced to do what he does next. He whirls around and rips himself from the Segyein's grasp, grabbing wildly for a prop bottle nearby that he uses to smash across the head of another Siren posing for the guy he assaulted that day, though he doesn't get much further than that. Multiple figures descend upon him in an instant, shoving him down across the table so they can snap a prop collar around his mouth.

It muffles his enraged screaming, near-sobs that are too real to be an act.]

C) Ocean Views | The Inn | OPEN

[It's been a long time since he's regressed back to this point, but a "long time" equates to just a few months. Is it really all that long, at that point?

Anyone looking for Till won't find him easily, though he also doesn't make himself particularly difficult to find. He's exactly where he was when he first arrived, where he strangely felt the safest because he at least had some agency over it. Holed up in his Inn room, with the door locked tight and the window shuttered.

He sits with his back to the door, curled up with his forehead pressed hard into his knees. His skin burns from tearing the collar off so violently he ended up scratching his own face by mistake.]

B

[wild_style]

[ Funny how these things work out sometimes. Given he's been making a point to attend these horrible things to help people out where he can, it was a matter of time before he ran into someone he met previously in here.

The fight on stage was ample enough cover. No one was paying attention to him, so he was able to slip backstage. It was a more subtle approach than his usual, since the sirens were already attacking and provoking them could make this worse for Till.

One by one the sirens are pulled back, tossed into the audience or bound up with barbed wire until he can knock the last one away with a flick of his hand. ]

Hey, can you stand?

[ He reaches down to help Till up watching the other Sirens just in case he has to keep fighting. ]

Let's get out of here.

Ciel | Elsword | Current Player, New Character

[blendswithbenefits]

A) Wake Up | Restaurant | OTA

[Do you ever just pass out so hard you wake up in a different dimension, because-

Given the difficulty with both entering and exiting the demon realm, not to mention its penchant for everything not being as it seems, Ciel has no reason to believe he's anywhere else. The red sky outside his window, the suspiciously perfect interior, these Sirens that definitely very much want his flesh?

Yeah. Demon realm.

It's not even the first time in the last however-long that the El Search Party has gotten themselves all separated in some way, and that's the only reason he's not allowing himself to panic right away. Staying calm in a situation like this is vital, especially when they're already so weak. He himself can't say he feels like he's fully recovered despite his higher tolerance for this place compared to the others. Speaking of which...is it just him, or does this area feel less...stifling, somehow? The constant feeling of being watched hasn't gone anywhere, but he feels a little bit more like he can breathe. Like a weight has been lifted from his shoulders.

Well, he's not going to get any answers here. The Sirens vying for his attention get ignored (rip) as he exits his room and heads out to try to find anything that might seem familiar. Not so much that it will distract him from finding the others, but also...

...yeah unfortunately for Ciel, this place is very convincing, and he ends up coming across the cutest little restaurant/cafe combo he's seen in a long while. They have a little section specifically for having tea, and he knows- he KNOWS- it's a trap even as one of the Sirens coaxes him over to try some.

And yet. The sign on the table that reads "#1 Oolong blend", his gaze narrows as he promptly takes a seat.]

I'll be the judge of that. [He reaches for a menu.] The Oolong. And one of these teacakes, please.

B) Ocean Views | OTA

[Whether he finds any of the others first or not, Ciel does eventually get spat out of the Sirens' realm and back into the Grove, having by that point surmised he's no longer in the demon realm, but someplace else entirely. Elrios...it is not.

But where...that he can't say. His relatively cool and calm demeanor has absolutely begun wavering now, because he cannot find Lu anywhere. He can't sense her, and no amount of calling and searching has produced any results. Thank God, then, that the fruit sharks floating around over the surface of the beach serve as a wonderful distraction.

Ciel can't help himself. Whether these things are dangerous or not really doesn't matter, because he's immediately going to approach and pet them, if they'll allow it. This results in him making friends with a particularly chunky watermelon shark who rumbles as Ciel scratches the underside of his chin.]

You're a cutie, aren't you?

A)

[eidxiety]

[Funny enough, Ain is also Sirens who want to Bite right now. Oops. That one can be explained later. He waltzes into this restaurant unaware, barefoot, and a little damp because he just got done swimming. He's about to veer toward the counter and see what's for sale in the snack case for a to go order when a familiar voice floats on the wind toward him.

Every day he swears he's going more insane.

Plap plap go his little siren feet as he comes to a sudden stop in front of Ciel's table.]

Mr. Half-Demon!!! When did you get here?!

[notice how Elsword got a hug and Ciel gets accused—]