TDM: AUGUST 2023

[citycenter]

TEST DRIVE MEME

A TRAIN COMES INTO THE STATION. You wake up on a train. Your phone is buzzing. It's in your pocket, in your hand, on the seat next to you. It's a normal phone, and you're on a normal train car. One of the lights flickers, a little further down. The world is very quiet. It feels like you're right where you're meant to be. On the phone's surface is a white screen and the words— WELCOME TO THE CITY. BEGIN ORIENTATION? ▶ YES ▶ NO Please take a moment to complete your orientation. Once you're finished, the subway doors slide open to let you out onto the train platform. To your right, the platform continues on and eventually ends; to the left is a set of stairs that will lead you up into the station itself. The platform is quiet, clean, empty—there's no one else around, and the only sounds you can hear are your own footsteps, your own breaths, and the occasional faraway sound of a creaking pipe or rush of air. The train you disembarked will stay there as long as you do, its doors still open, until you finally decide to venture up into this new locale. As you make your way up the stairs to your left, you find yourself in the belly of City Hall station. The station is large, a sprawling underground mini-metropolis of corridors and storefronts. Here, you may find others like you, freshly-arrived city residents from other realms (or even your own). There is also a subway map, which will give you an idea of the layout of the neighborhood, and ticketing machines, which can currently only be used to buy tickets to a handful of stations located on lines 1, 2, and 9. If you're hungry or in need of any kind of supplies, there are plenty of storefronts inside the subway station as well—snack stands, convenience stores, restaurants, clothing stores, a pharmacy, and a variety of empty shops that may or may not have ever been in use. Everything is unlocked, and you can take whatever you need. Characters may stay on the train platform indefinitely, and may re-board and re-disembark from the subway as many times as they like, but the train will not depart nor will the doors close. Once they go up the stairs into the train station, they may hear the train doors closing and the train departing. Another train will not arrive, no matter how long the character waits. Only once they come up the stairs into the station itself may characters encounter their fellow newly-arrived residents and take advantage of what the city has to offer. JUMP TO TOP ↑ | ↓ JUMP TO COMMENTS WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. The station is located in the city center. It has three major exits that lead to areas of interest in the district, but there are several other smaller exits that lead in other directions around the neighborhood. You are welcome to use any of them, but may find the north, southwest, and east exits to be the most welcoming. TO THE NORTH The northern entrance to the station leads up into the sunlight and puts you out in a brickwork plaza. There's a modest building in front of you, three or four stories of stone with a welcoming facade. There's a sign above the entryway—it says City Hall. You may be tempted to explore, if you're interested in learning more about the city and how it functions, but prepare to find yourself disappointed—the folders in the records rooms are full of empty, blank sheets of paper, and the logbooks and balance sheets are similarly devoid of information. Immediately to the southwest of City Hall, you will find a small building that houses the tourist information kiosk. It looks welcoming, with an inviting glass facade and a sign above the entryway announcing it as the "TOURIST CENTER." It's a humble building with a receptionist's desk on the back wall opposite the entrance, empty magazine shelves lining the side walls, and a few spinning brochure racks full of blank pamphlets. Anyone is welcome to peruse the tourist literature, though they won't offer much information, being primarily filled with pictures of the surrounding area—City Hall, the park, a statue garden, and the surprisingly heavily-featured cemetery. There are a few sentences sprinkled throughout about basic offerings of the city, such as apartment complexes and office buildings, as well as a few maps with the same limited scope as the larger version on the wall behind the receptionist's desk. The main feature of the tourist center is the interactive kiosk installed dead in the center, right in the middle of a few rows of uncomfortable chairs that fill the small room. It's noticeably in the way of any would-be foot traffic through the tourist center, and something about the technology seems a little more modern than the computer behind the desk or the landline phone on the wall. The kiosk is a tall silver rectangle, about average adult height, and the upper half is a screen welcoming visitors to touch it to activate the kiosk. If you were to touch it, the screen would come to life with simple dialogue inviting visitors to ask it their questions. However, residents should note that the kiosk is only programmed to assist with exploration within the available areas of the city. It may not be able to answer every question, and tampering with the kiosk may result in unreliable or inaccurate answers! TO THE SOUTHWEST The western exit of the station takes you up into a city park, lush and green with a very light fog still hanging about the trees. There are lampposts on the walkways and benches where you could rest, and plenty of flora, although you can neither see nor hear any signs of animal life. You walk the paths that meander idly through the verdant grass and you feel a sense of peace, some of your unease about this place easing into a pleasant calm. The air smells fresh, like it's recently rained, and you'll find the grass ever so slightly damp should you decide to take a seat. As you make your way deeper into the park, the trees grow denser and the smell of soil and plant life grows stronger. This is the older part of the park, very nearly a forest, with ivy climbing the trunks of the trees and plants and shrubs growing riotously around their bases. As you turn a corner, you find yourself first in the statue garden, although the statues are harder to see now, choked as they are with ivy. There are many statues, some partially obscured, some fully—very few of them still stand free of the vines and clinging roots. (It doesn't feel quite as peaceful here.) If a statue's face looks a little bit familiar, you may not want to look at it too long. Continue down the path and you will find yourself in a graveyard, one that seems centuries old. Most of the headstones are worn away by time and covered in moss, rendering them impossible to read. The few that are free of moss are blank, or bear only suggestions of names too faint to be understood. (Was that the name of—no, it couldn't have been. Could it?) Many of the headstones stand at an angle or are toppled over completely, having been subjected to either strong winds or the roots of the trees that grow up from some of the graves, spreading branches toward the sky. TO THE EAST The final exit of the station, to the east, puts you out on a quiet surface street. Are you hungry? Or are you paralyzed by choice? There are plenty of restaurants, offering options of almost any food you can imagine. You could try a convenience store—it's well stocked, and the items there seem free for the taking. How about a restaurant? There's no one to take your order, but when you look in the kitchen, there's something on the stove, and it's just what you've been craving. Imagine that. A few blocks down, you come in through the lobby of a tall building and find yourself in a corporate office. The fluorescent lights are steady and unforgiving, and the cubicles and offices are empty. There are a few pieces of paper on desks, a few folders left in organizers, but everything is perfectly blank. Despite how empty and quiet the office is, it nonetheless gives you the feeling that just a few minutes ago, this place was bustling with workers going about their daily business. You enter another building and find yourself in the lobby of an apartment complex—finally, a place to rest. The first door you try opens easily into a completely empty living room, freshly vacuumed but without a single piece of furniture. It's a nice apartment, quiet, but with a little too much echo for your taste, maybe. Still, and perhaps oddly, you have no trouble envisioning what life here would be like. The second door you open leads to an apartment that feels lived-in. Why does it feel lived-in? It's fully furnished with items that seem to go together perfectly, true, but the feeling is more than that—the room feels like someone was just here, maybe standing right in the kitchen only moments before you swung the door open. The air is a perfectly comfortable temperature, and it somehow smells like home despite that you've never once set foot here before. The refrigerator is stocked, and the cabinets are full of spices and flatware and kitchen utensils. As you look around the living room, you find that there are pictures in frames on the walls and some of the flat surfaces—a seascape, a field, a shot of a city park bench. In each of the photos there's something just slightly wrong with the angle, as though the photographer were aiming for a subject that can no longer be seen. Characters are welcome to explore the district around the City Hall subway station to their heart's content. The City Hall building itself contains several floors of offices and file rooms, but none of them contain any particularly interesting information. Nonetheless, characters may wish to team up with other newcomers and try to find some hints about the nature of the city. They can also spend a while in the park, the statue garden, or the graveyard. In the blocks surrounding the station there are plenty of options for food and housing, as well as office buildings, storefronts, and alleyways to look around. There are no workers in any of the buildings, and there does not seem to be an honor system for payment, nor any consequences for taking food from the stores or setting up camp in an apartment or office building. JUMP TO TOP ↑ | ↓ JUMP TO COMMENTS I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM. Have you ever visited the ice cream parlor located in District 2? It's a pretty quirky little joint! When you walk in, what you'll likely notice first is the colors. Everything is bright, almost oversaturated—the pink of the leather seats, the teal of the walls, the red of the menu sign hanging over the counter. By all rights it seems like these colors shouldn't go together, but somehow they do, or maybe that's just because being in an ice cream parlor puts you in a good mood. It smells like waffle cones, and overhead, there's music pumping through the speakers at just the right volume, providing some nice background noise to your decision-making process. Wait, music? There's a jukebox at the far end of the shop, which seems to be where the music is being chosen. As you head over, the song comes to an end and the jukebox machinery shuffles through its options before landing on a new one. The song sounds sort of familiar, doesn't it? And the longer you listen, the more the lyrics really seem to speak to you. It costs money to pick your own song, so if you happen to have some coins on you—or if you're really, really determined—you can choose the next round of tunes. When you're done at the jukebox, you can go check out the serving area of the shop. Behind the counter you can see milkshake mixers and waffle cone makers; there are ice cream cakes in the freezers that line the wall; and when you approach the main counter you can see the tubs of ice cream in almost any flavor you can imagine. Pick a flavor, whichever one's your favorite! Do you want it in a cone or in a bowl? There are regular cones and waffle cones, and all kinds of toppings—sprinkles, syrups, gummy candy, mini marshmallows. Decorate your ice cream however you want, the sky's the limit when it comes to choices! You can even come back for seconds if you want, or thirds. Who's going to say anything about it, after all? But the more of your ice cream you eat, the more you start to feel… strange. Maybe you're starting to get angry, or sad, or giddy—maybe you feel romantic, or feel like you want to tell a secret to a stranger, and you're not really sure why. You also can't quite seem to stop eating your ice cream, and the more you eat, the less worried you feel about whatever's happening to your emotions. After all, why be concerned about that when you have something so delicious in front of you? Flavor Effect Strawberry You find yourself compelled to seek out strangers and tell them a hidden truth about yourself Rocky Road You find yourself compelled to seek out strangers and convince them of some egregious lie Vanilla You are overwhelmed by a sense of total calm, and can only speak in aphorisms and platitudes Rainbow Sherbert You are overwhelmed by amorous feelings towards whoever is near you and try to cuddle or kiss them Chocolate You feel suddenly morose about something in your past and cannot stop crying until someone consoles you Bubblegum You become uncontrollably giggly and giddy, and can only speak in rhyme Caramel Ribbon You become angry and perhaps even violent, trying to attack anyone who comes near Mint Chocolate Chip You suddenly have a common but exaggerated phobia (for example, a fear of heights where the step down off the curb is too much) When characters first enter the ice cream parlor, they may notice that there's music playing overhead! That's from the jukebox, and the lyrics of the song may sound like they're particularly apt for a character's circumstances. Players are welcome to choose their own jukebox songs for their characters—it doesn't need to have appeared in canon, but characters from modern times are welcome to recognize the music being played. (Players can also feel free not to pick a real song at all, and instead just describe the overall sound of the song and content of the lyrics!) This is an ice cream parlor, so of course there's also ice cream to be had. Characters can serve themselves whatever flavor combination they want, but shortly thereafter will find themselves suffering certain emotional effects depending on what flavors they chose. These emotional effects, shown above, will last for roughly an hour before slowly dissipating, and their intensity depends on how much ice cream the character ate and whether they were able to recognize what was happening and stop eating. Not every flavor has an emotional effect, so players can also choose to have their character eat a normal scoop and go about their day. JUMP TO TOP ↑ | ↓ JUMP TO COMMENTS WILDCARD. The city is by no means small, and there are plenty of things for you to see. There's no rush in exploring, so feel free to take your time looking around and peering into various nooks and crannies and alleyways—and don't worry, you're not very likely to find anything peering back. If none of the above prompts appeal, feel free to check out the Locations and Maps pages and write your own freestyle prompt using one or many of the available locations. JUMP TO TOP ↑

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TDM QUESTIONS.

[citycenter]

Please direct all TDM-specific questions below. If you have a general question about the game premise or mechanics, please direct it to the FAQ page.

As a reminder, TDM top-levels should only be posted by potential new characters. Existing characters are encouraged to tag in, but should not top level; however, players may use the TDM prompts for catch-alls in the log comm.

Please include your character's name and character's canon in the subject line of your top level. Happy TDMing!

Chrissy Cunningham | Stranger Things

[bubblegumheart]

Welcome to the Neighborhood

The train and the platform were certainly odd enough, but now that she's emerged into the station itself, Chrissy finds herself even more confused. She'd been hoping for answers and, as of yet, that doesn't seem to be likely.

The north entrance leads her out into the sunlight, which makes Chrissy happy. That happiness is pretty short-lived, however, when she realizes that the only thing of note in this area is a couple of boring looking buildings. Naturally, she decides to poke her head inside in an attempt to see what she can see.

Explanations continue to elude her following her short detour through the city hall and tourist info buildings. The longer she spends here, the more questions she's able to add to the list.

To the southwest, she finds a city park, and Chrissy decides that this might be her favorite place thus far. At first glance, it feels like the sort of peaceful outdoor space she might read about in one of her favorite books. The lack of signs of any animal life is a bit odd, but she's willing to overlook that for the time being.

Eventually, she does make her way to the graveyard, another beautiful location that makes Chrissy wish she had a camera with her. It might not be her first choice of places to spend her time, though even she can't deny that there's a certain peaceful atmosphere that she has to appreciate.

I scream, You Scream

The ice cream parlor feels like a breath of fresh air, a safe haven in a wholly unfamiliar city. And though she's never been here before in her life, it certainly feels like home.

The music playing is upbeat and oddly relevant to her current circumstances- Chrissy is just going to file that away to overthink at a later date. For now, though, she has a more important decision to make.

"Mint chocolate chip or strawberry? Oh, they also have rainbow sherbert..." Her query isn't directed at anyone in particular, though she might not say no if someone feels like weighing in.

Choose Your Own

The obligatory wildcard option. Chrissy can probably be found anywhere in the city that newbies are allowed to go, as she's the nosy sort. You can also find me at cornyflake if you'd like to set up something specific.

I scream, you scream~

[ihavecharacter]

Doc hasn't seen the ice cream parlor before, but it's certainly something. They don't have anything like this in Purgatory and he's only really had the ice cream that Waverly and Wynonna get. Though, Waverly's is vegan as opposed to Wynonna's.

"Never had rainbow sherbet, but I am used to the choices of the women I live with. But I am sure whatever you choose will be delightful." Doc wants to tip his hat, but as he continues to not have any hat, it is impossible. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, miss. The name's John Henry, but you can call me Doc."

kenzo tenma | monster

[funburger]

arrival/around

[Or: sulking. Sulking is what Dr. Kenzo Tenma is doing, after he emerges from the subway to squint into the light of day. He's not immediately in the mood to do anything after that, walking only a few yards away from the subway entrance before he simply leans back against the wall and sinks to the ground. Yes, this is where he should be right now: sitting on the ground, not having to think or move or act or do... anything.

Of course, he can't keep that up for very long. If he's not caught sitting on the ground then he'll be found upright and leaning against that same wall in about an hour, two paper cups of something steaming held in both his hands. He doesn't remember how to stop, anymore, and if leaning into whatever's happening here will put thoughts of Ruhenheim and his friends and his patient out of his mind for a little while, maybe that will be... something.

Enough. He can't rest; it doesn't bother him anymore. Despite the fact that he looks like he's been through hell and back, worn around the edges and a little frayed, he has a smile and a nod for whoever else might come out of the subway, or pass by it. He raises one of the cups,]

How are you doing? [soft-voiced, but without any timidness to it; a consummate professional at bedside manner. uh, here on the sidewalk.] Here, I've filled two cups. Something warm to drink will help you feel more like yourself again. Would you like coffee or tea?

[So, neither of these cups are for him, necessarily, but he'll drink the de facto reject.]

graveyard/statue garden

[Temna goes to the graveyard. Tenma leaves the graveyard immediately, only to return some twenty minutes later with some gardening tools shoved in a canvas bag. He'll be keeping the bag, later, but the tools are for—cleaning.

It just seems like the thing to do? To make some of these faded and worn headstones look more like someone has been here and caring for them, all this time? He's no professional at how to clear away vines and moss in the most efficient way, though, so it's a slow-going and sweaty process. He won't turn anyone away who might want to help, and anyone who tells him not to bother will be met with a simple: "Someone ought to." So, that's Tenma's afternoon...

Later, he'll be just lying on his back in the grass, some yards away from the nearest headstone, exhausted. He tried... woe....]

It isn't right, [he says, to a passing pair of shoes, arm held up in front of his face to block the sun. hi.] Why wasn't anyone taking care of this place?

it's not unusual

[Now, Tenma doesn't plan on hanging out in this ice cream parlor long. He feels out of place; he's still mostly frayed and frazzled, he's tired, he's grass-stained from his episode in the graveyard - but some cold ice cream would hit the spot, so he's here to browse the flavors and get some to-go cones for himself. And perhaps a friend...??

He's sporting a fashionable oversized canvas shoulder bag, which is overtly filled with what looks like sandwich fixings and bread, a few drinks, and a blanket. He's been shopping! And stuck in his emotions, now that he's had a day apart from them, but never mind those.

To anyone else who is browsing the flavors with him, he offers an almost sheepish,] I've never been much of an ice cream guy... What do you recommend?

[seriously who would put bubblegum flavored ice cream in their mouth, what is that.]

I'm thinking of going for a picnic. Would you like to come? It's better to eat with other people, after all. [ahem,] That is, if I'm not coming across as too sentimental.

[Haha, he's totally not. Come have a picnic with a stranger.]

pharmacy

[Sooner or later he's got to have medical supplies on hand, so here he is in the pharmacy, gathering up yet another big bag of those. He's meticulous about it, making his own advanced first aid kit, until the prescription counter of the pharmacy catches his attention.

That's where he can be found, medkit-in-progress sitting on the counter as he thumbs through blank prescription after blank prescription.]

Ah—excuse me, have you seen any of these properly filled out? What happened here?

[Life-threatening organizational skills happening over here!! He's bothered!!]

misc/wildcard

[it is what it is babey!! tenma's canon point is post-ruhenheim, pre-final timeskip, if you know you know. reach me at jojoveller or by pm for inquiries.]

it's not unusual | to be sad with anyone

[disunity]

[ Ice cream is the last thing on Nina's mind when she first spots the shop. Supplies, answers, and some other living soul would be much more—

Oh, but there is someone. Right there in the shop, there's a sillhouette. Something about it gives her pause, but not from fear. A familiarity to the outline lends a sense of anticipation to Nina's footsteps when they pick back up and she pushes through the parlor door. There's no smile on her lips, but the blue in her eyes carry a hopeful clarity that no one but this man has managed to instill in her.

It really is him.

She— She really shouldn't be surprised, should she? He seems to always be near, one step behind her. Only, has he now gone ahead of her? What does he know? Is—

Is he okay? ]

Dr. Tenma?

xiaohei | the legend of luo xiaohei

[hasten]

CAT 1. MEOW

( to the furthest reaches of the city’s explorable extents, there is no sign of life but for those that have arrived by way of train. there are no birds roosting in the trees or the eaves, no rats scurrying through the sewers—there aren’t even ants to march along the pavement or flies to buzz around garbage bins.

so… why is there a small black cat here in the train station?

it slinks up the steps from the platform below, enormous eyes narrowed in feline suspicion. its every move is fluid and cautious, largely keeping to the camouflaging shadows whenever it can… though there comes a time when it must cross more visibly across the main floor of the concourse before it can make its way toward the city street exit. it’s then that it’s easiest to catch sight of the cat, and it’s then that he realizes he’s been spotted.

crap!

he stops. his oddly long tail languidly curls around his body, and as it does so… is it holding something in it? but then the tail whips to the side, and the item (a cell phone) goes skittering across the tiles and into a nearby abandoned storefront with the faint clattering of plastic.

xiaohei decides to try to distract from that by looking up to his new company with wide, staring eyes. ) Miaaw! ( he puts all he can into the ‘innocent and cute’ act, hoping it will distract from him getting rid of the phone.

because he doesn’t want anyone to know he’s a spirit. certainly not when he doesn’t know what’s going on! )

CAT 2. TREAT

( sunlight streams through the windows of the ice cream shop; it’s a warm day, and the pastel interior of the parlor is matched by a sweet-sounding song which plays on the jukebox. xiaohei sits on the top of the glass case housing the tubs of ice cream, inspecting them with eager interest. he has been investigating the city tirelessly, but… it’s tiring and hot work, and just because he's a spirit doesn't mean he doesn't get hungry! the nature of this city allowing him to just take whatever he wants when he needs it is convenient, but… he has to admit. it’s not nearly as fun when there isn’t someone to steal from. the danger and the thrill of the chase is a vital part of that!

oh, well. his long tail snakes out and grabs an ice cream cone. he ducks into the case and picks out a flavor at random, holding the cone in his paws as he fills it with scoops of ice cream. it would probably melt pretty quickly outside, so he hops onto the counter of the bar and begins to happily indulge in the sweet treat, the cone held in the coil of his tail.

the bell over the door jingles as someone walks in. the black cat’s head whips around to stare at the newcomer, eyes wide and unblinking.

then, without breaking that eye contact, he takes another lick from the ice cream. he then meows, but, bizarrely, you can understand it in your head: )

Do you want one?

( ooc note: I will randomize an ice cream flavor, unless there is a preference! please note that for rainbow sherbert, he will only be expressing cat-like affections [rubbing against legs, etc.], and for caramel ribbon, he might attack! if you wish to opt out of any, please feel free to let me know! )

CAT 3. WILDCARD

( feel free to find him investigating anywhere else in the city! )

1

[icanfixer]

[ to lose hope is unforgivable, too, and so each day don quixote returns to train station, to see if her friend and ally will be there (it's better if he doesn't isn't it? with how the city had treated him, how it treats everyone--) and






is that a cat. don quixote looks so visibly shocked by the fact there's an actual animal here that she can't speak, her eyes skittering after the cell phone briefly (did it find it? steal it?) before returning to the little guy. would sinclair be mad if she brought home a stray. no, he'd be charmed by its large, dark eyes. the rather long tail. the adorable meow. he would sigh, but he would understand.

don quixote drops to the ground and stares at xiaohei. sparkling. hook line and sinker, little buddy. ]

... Hello, gatito~. Are thee not a most adorable little fellow? Have thee an owner? Art thou lost? Would thee like something to eat? I have-- I have jerky upon my person, but I do not know if that would interest thee!

[ let her-- in her laying position let her-- there, a stick of beef jerky, she's carefully unwrapping it and holding it out. by the wing.......... a cat.......... wow............ ]

Dimos | Nier Re[in]carnation

[prayererror]

amber alert

[Well.

He's not entirely unfamiliar with the idea of just...Being deposited somewhere he doesn't recognise. That's what his existence had been bef--

Hm. What had his existence been before he'd woken up in a dusty cellar? He knows there was more, and yet...Anyway. No point in dwelling on something that he cannot recall, and therefore likely did not experience. The point is that this is familiar, somewhat, so there's a list of priorities he needs to cover. One, weaponry. His has been taken away from him, and although he's best with a gun, he doesn't need one to be fatal. That's fine. He can find a gun later.

It's when he realises that he's entirely alone, at least in terms of not having his usual companion, that the colour of his eyes changes into a panicky shade of warm amber, almost as if he's a traffic light. But description alone will not suffice, will it?

He manages to find an empty notepad, a diamante-encrusted pen, and draws this. And you bet that the next person he sees is going to get this image shoved into their face very sternly.]

Have you seen him?

[Now you have.]

we all scream

[Dimos cannot eat. He is a clockwork man, without a stomach or any need for food.

However. He can unwind the bandages covering his scarred face, open his mouth (with sculpted lips and for what?), and jam a spoonful of ice cream into his oral cavity. There's a tongue to taste (and to test for poisons, drugs, anything that might down a human). There's teeth with which to chew into a mush. He's just...Taste-testing. Even worse is the fact that, once he's finished evaluating the current mouthful, he just propels it back out into the dish and stares blankly at it.

So you know, if you wanted to see a dusty, grubby-looking shirtless cowboy spitting ice cream into a bowl, that's a thing that's happening right now. Or-- oh fuck ok no his attention's turned on you, oh shit. Blank green lamplight eyes stare, before he inclines his head at the bowl, then at you.]

What is this flavour. I cannot identify the fruit.

[(It's strawberry. But why the fuck's it pink for?)]

or if you want to wildcard me, go ahead!

also hi it's zach, the former Gregor Limbus Company player, and i just want to apologise to anyone i left in the lurch cr-wise. some ooc stuff (limbus company company being a piece of shit) happened and i couldn't enjoy rping him anymore, but i also couldn't drop the game :')

amber alert.

[rainswords]

[ It's a similar experience for Xingqiu; while the city has slowly gone through an uptick in its population, his closest friend is not among those deposited to the city via train. That's for the best, that's what he tells himself while acknowledging that his friend has skills that may be better suited to unraveling mysteries here. Exorcists deal with the paranormal... While his mood isn't somber, in fact, despite all the strange events he seems to be in good spirits that changes when he's practically accosted.

He doesn't have a chance to get a good look at the stranger, a notepad obscures his line of sight and a question is promptly asked. It takes him a moment to try to understand what he is seeing. Even then, it is easy to make assumptions because initially, he thought that the drawing resembled some kind of octopus creature. He pushes the notepad gently down so that he can take a look at who he is exchanging words with.

Based on the question and the person's appearance — wait should he rule out the octopus creature theory? ] I don't believe I have? Unless you mean... Oh, never mind that. Perhaps a name would help? What is his name?

cloud strife, ff7r

[infirm]

      arrival.

[ he had closed his eyes to the brilliant white light he'd stepped into, only to open them and... ]

[ blink owlishly at the bench across from him, uncomprehending. the phone in his gloved hand vibrates; he answers the questions on rote confusion. the door yawns open and he waits for someone to step in, and then waits a little longer. when nothing happens, nothing moves, no one breathes... he steps out of the train car, glancing this way and then that. one might not think of it from a big city even as empty as this one, but compared to Midgar, it smells like a garden. the air isn't a thick gloom, the stringent chemical odor of mako cloying. a breeze waves through the vacant, hollow cement halls of the train station and carries Cloud out to the deck. ]

[ a look left. a look right. his hands perch on his hips as he observes and ruminates, and then one goes over his shoulder — to grasp at nothing. he even looks at his empty hand perplexed, as though it betrays him. ]

Hey. You seen a sword around? About this wide— [ his two hands held apart in measurement, this is... as broad as his waist. ] —this big? [ and here, his hand marks the height: just shy of his eyebrows from the ground. who needs a sword this big. who. ]

      bubblegum.

[ well, first things first: look for everyone else. his scouting brings him to the ice cream shop, drawn by the proclivity of his party (or a sharp nose, or penchant for mischief). he doesn't himself order anything, but the shop seems to be keen to serve him anyway: two big scoops in a cone, one a peppy pink and the second a chunk-chocked chocolate. a rankled brow and insistent frown accompany his visible train of thought... before he reluctantly snatches it off of the stand and heads out the door, as though some invisible person had been standing there, smiling, expectant. ]

[ it's a dairy and sugar rush as he laps at saccharine pink with his tongue, pulling of tablets of chewy pink gum and smacking them between his teeth as his boots thump heavy on the sidewalk. ]

It's not below par, [ he announces to no one in particular, ] But I've had better in Midgar.

[ ...what just came out of his mouth? ]

      rocky road.

I like your shirt.

[ this man, nursing a half-eaten waffle cone with mostly chocolate left but some residual pink, has just walked up to a complete stranger and complimented their clothing. this wouldn't be unusual if it were anyone other than Cloud fucking Strife, whose very name quivers the hearts of extroverts everywhere. aside from that, he has no personal stake in fashion; his looks are just pragmatic, refashioned pieces of uniform. might as well be wearing the ugliest shirt known to man.]

[ sllllrrrrppp. and yet he had said yet, and continues to lick his ice cream, with such an inscrutable expression that it's hard to gauge his tone or intent. after another bite of cone, he adds: ]

I think you can take me in a fight.

[ there's a sticky river of chocolate in his glove that he can't quite feel through the fabric, dripping onto his corded shirt between the straps of an empty weapon holster. summer has taken a toll on frozen desserts. ]

      network. @ c.strife

I'm looking for some people.

1. Long silver hair guy, really long sword
2. Big guy with a big gun arm and even bigger mouth
3. Brawler girl with red eyes. She's probably made it to the bars by now
4. Red talking dog(?) with tail on fire. Not sure how he'd use a phone, to be honest
5. Girl who likes flowers but don't let that fool you

I'm also avoiding some people.

1. Snotty blond guy with a shotgun and evil cat
2. Skinny redhead guy with ugly tattoos
3. Bald guy with glasses, punches hard

Contact me. Or don't.

      other.

[ feel free to wildcard anywhere in the city, i'm flexible. PM this journal as needed. ]

rocky road!

[yeahsoyknowidunno]

Uh, thanks. I think.

[bemused, Kaidan looks down at his standard issue navy fatigues as though expecting to find a splotch of strawberry-flavoured ice cream across his chest. but no, there's no spilled desert on his clothes; it just seems like this weirdly intense stranger has a very utilitarian aesthetic.

that, and the most borderline confrontational technique for licking an ice cream cone that he has ever witnessed. and that next comment--jesus, Wrex would love this guy, he'd be right at home on Tuchanka. pure instinct has him taking a half-step backwards and dropping his hand to wear his service weapon would ordinarily ride at his hip, but of course his pistol is nowhere to be seen.

he frowns, opens his mouth with every intention of saying, 'excuse me?' but what comes out instead is:]

Go for it, pal, I broke a man's neck at Jump Zero and still get nightmares about it sometimes. ..What the--

[hold on. hold on, Cloud, can he get a re-do on that smack talk, he's definitely got a zinger knocking around in his brain somewhere that isn't attached to a deeply-seated insecurity.]

zoro — one piece

[triple]

welcome to the neighborhood

( lost™️ wandering time! choose your own adventure:

⚔️ upon disembarking from the train, zoro will wander the platform. the only train he's ever been on ran on tracks on water, so this feels weird — even though this is far more normal than what he knows. he pops into other cars but exits soon after, deciding he isn't really fond of being on it, but he's looking for his swords and the longer he goes not finding them, the more agitated he becomes. so, sooner rather than later, there's just a large man stalking through the hallways grumbling to himself. at least until he finds a snack machine with sticks of meat, of which he takes more than necessary and shoves the extras into his haramaki. if anyone happens to be watching him, he will be going in circles in an attempt to get out of the station, sometimes stopping and looking behind himself and double-backing that direction. if it seems like he might be lost: he isn't! ( except that he is. )

⚔️ eventually he does make it out of the station no worse for wear and jerky sticks and other snacks tucked into his haramaki. he wanders ( again ) through the fog and winds up in the cemetery. he doesn't really like the area and wants to leave, yet finds himself waylaid by a statue over a grave. the face of that statue looks far too familiar for his liking and it's making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

oh, he absolutely doesn't like this place at all.

which is, of course, at the moment he hears something behind him — a twig snap, foliage rustling, whatever the case may be — and he whips around so fast brandishing snacks as weapons. regardless that he might look like an idiot, there's the distinct air that a snack cake might be what does you in. )

Oi.

( you better start talking, fast.

⚔️ OR zoro does eventually also make his way east. he likes this a lot better than the other way he went. there's actual food here.

so, he will be settling down in a restaurant with his table piled high with various dishes. it's not the best food he's ever had, but it provides the sustenance that he needs right now. if he's hunched over and guarding what he's eating, that's his own business. however, after having eaten proper food, he's more inclined to speak, though wouldn't start a conversation on his own. sorry he is the way he is.

after eating, however, he does make his way to the apartments, eventually. there will be a particular hallway where all the doors have been opened; zoro stands in the doorway of each one staring at it before moving on to the next. eventually, though, he does enter one ( though leaves the door open, too ) and sooner rather than later, snoring can be heard. seems like this is a case of goldilocks and the three bears situation and he needed a rectangle of floor that was just right. he'll be making himself comfortable in one of the more empty apartments. does it belong to some one? who knows! does he care? not really. )

i scream

( ice cream isn't a big thing for zoro; he prefers getting his sweetness from fruit or the shaved ice treats sanji makes them sometimes. he's not sure if he's going to really like any of this, let alone does he know what any of it is going to taste like.

so, he'll sample a couple: vanilla, caramel ribbon, possibly rainbow sherbert ( but let's talk oocly first! ) and bubblegum. no matter whats in his cup, he still may feel compelled to question it first, and looking at it as if he doesn't trust it, )

What's this actually taste like?

wildcard

( open to discussing doing other things/creating specific starters!! feel free to hmu via pm/puqi )

welcome, cemetery;

[sanji]

[ through the fog, there's a small ember of light, glowing from the end of a cigarette as sanji makes his way through the cemetery. it's not exactly where he'd like to be, but he still hasn't had much luck in finding anyone else in this city, the eeriness of it starting to become unsettling. if only he could find some cute lost maiden whose hand he could hold as they make their way through this strange place!

when he does finally sense someone nearby, that's the hope of what he'll discover, except it's — very much not. and instead of a beautiful lady, he finds the last person he actually wants to see.

by now, countering zoro is a natural instinct, as instinctual as breathing, which is why he's already swinging his leg to prepare blocking steel with the bottom of his shoe. but instead of a sword, his foot nearly hits a meat stick, leg halting just before he kicks at it. ]

Oi, oi — [ he snaps, with a tsk around his cigarette. ] What're you doing playing with food, Marimo?

Richard III | Requiem of the Rose King

[doomward]

(ooc | Richard’s canon point is the end of the manga, so please expect massive spoilers in both this top level and his future tags. For the canon blind, Requiem of the Rose King is a dark story that explores many disturbing and potentially triggering themes. You can opt out of threading with him, no questions asked. Otherwise, feel free to read to read his permissions or first impressions. Finally, I'm currently in the process of commissioning icons for him, so please bear with just his default in the meantime. PM this journal if you want to discuss anything!)

---

[The strange carriage bears him swiftly to a place unknown. Hell, he expects. Yet Richard remains still for a time, ignoring the unfamiliar stimuli harassing his senses. It feels as though he’s been driven to forward motion all his life; to simply sit here—counting each precious breath exiting his lungs—is a luxury that he can’t say he deserves. Richard would be content to close his eyes and rest like this, if not for the irritating pulsing in the palm of his left hand. When he finally deigns to return to reality and look, he’s met with some tablet-like oddity.

Much later, once he finally escapes the carriage, Richard eavesdrops on a conversation aboveground regarding the alleged situation. So, this isn’t the afterlife. An overwhelming lassitude threatens to drown him then; only the knowledge that he hasn’t earned eternal rest prevents him from giving in to despair. And so Richard—neither king nor lord, neither man nor woman—walks onward, with the single voice occupying his thoughts his own.]

---

▌ I. DISTRICT 1, CITY PARK – FOREST

[The deep woods call to him, beckoning him away from the ugly architecture suffocating the city. Richard wanders, jet-black armor clinking quietly as he passes through the archways of old, gnarled trees. Though he remains cloaked in dried and flaking blood from the recent battle, he can almost pretend that he is a boy again—accompanied by the white boar as they hunt game. But it is not memories of the boar that urge Richard to ultimately lay down on damp grass, hands folded over his stomach. Gazing up at the thick canopy of leaves above, he waits. It wouldn’t be the first time Henry surprised him, after all.

Maybe you trip over him while walking through the woods. Maybe you mistake the blood for current injuries in need of tending. Maybe you just want to know what this weirdo is doing. Strike up a conversation?]

▌ II. DISTRICT 1, CITY PARK – STATUE GARDEN
cw: implied incest (son to father)

[Even had this place not possessed a touch of magic to it, no doubt Richard’s general mental instability would have summoned ghosts of the past to haunt him.]

Father…won’t you guide me?

[He stands before the bust of a beautiful man with locks of hair that look skillfully silken even in marble. Richard, though given to a paranoid and suspicious nature, does not seem to notice that you have joined him in the garden. The whole of his focus is absorbed in the caricature resembling his late father. One gauntlet thunks to the ground as it is shed; fingers now bare, Richard reaches out to tenderly caress a pale cheek.]

I’ve failed you. Is that why you won’t speak to me now?

[Expression contorted as if in agony, Richard rests his forehead against the collarbone of the statue. Though a wind creeps through the garden, stirring blades of grass, no otherworldly voice is carried on the breeze.]

Even so, father…I…

[A small man, Richard has to stand on the tips of his toes to reach—and then his lips are brushing over the statue’s with a familiarity that seems to suggest this isn’t the first time. Yes, this is happening. Please interrupt.]

▌ III. DISTRICT 2, ICE CREAM PARLOR

[After fulfilling his quota in the park of being a total creep, Richard eventually finds himself exploring the city. The number of people who are gathering at a particular building piques his interest, so he cautiously joins the queue. Once inside, he slips out of the line to inspect his surroundings—mouth a flat line of displeased incredulity. What an eyesore these garish colors are; they’re almost offensive to even behold. Then again, with Richard shrouded in dour black from head to toes, maybe he’s the odd one out here.

The young man approaches a side counter, brows knitting together in confusion as he stares at the offerings. Their labels do him little in understanding what he’s looking at. Fortunately, a satisfied customer nearby licks their dessert—clueing him in that this is some kind of establishment for food.]

“Ice cream,” [he reads, tone dubious. Still frowning, he turns to you—mismatched eyes solemn—and points at the container of strawberry ice cream across the glass.] You. What is ice cream? If it’s as simple as the name suggests… I can’t imagine the appeal.

[Despite that, he keeps glancing surreptitiously at the strawberry ice cream. Seems someone has a preference already.]

II

[syncopathic]

[After the alien atmosphere of the city, Dito had hoped the more verdant scenery would make him feel more at home in this strange place, but if anything it's put him even more on edge. What kind of nutcase has this many statues in one area? Uncanny ones, too-- with way too much detail for a simple sculpture. One of them even appears to be sporting an outfit cut entirely too low in the front to accentuate its oversized breasts, just like...

Dito's gorge rises in his throat as he looks away from the unnervingly familiar sight, and as he does so he notices a willowy, waif-like individual drawing close to another statue a few feet away. Drawing close with an astounding amount of intimacy, in fact-- apparently Dito isn't the only one seeing ghosts around here. He notes the kiss with mild amusement, which rises to a schadenfreude-like mixture of disgust and delight at the invocation of "Father". This is just too good an opportunity to pass up.]

Oi. Oedipus Rex. Mind dry-humping familial effigies on your own time? Some of us have places to be.

[Richard isn't even in the way. Dito's just displaced, disoriented and disconcerted, and the person in front of him seems like the perfect target on which to sharpen his claws.]

Ken Amada | Persona 4 Arena Ultimax

[whatsamada]

1. Graveyard

[Ken wasn't a danger to exploring strange and unusual places. If he had to explore the TV world and Tartarus, he could do it again here. Despite his determination to find some answers, all he was left with were nothing but blank pages and wrong answers. It was enough to make him feel frustrated when he had no clues about this strange place. With a sigh, he hoped that taking a walk around the park would do him some good.

And yet, as he continued further, he found himself looking at a graveyard. For a moment, he hesitated as he looked at some of the tombstones. However, there was one that seemed to scream something unusual...]

Wait, is that...?

[Was it his imagination or was it the name of someone who he knew?]

2. Ice cream parlor

[Why was there an ice cream store in the middle of an empty city? Ken really didn't know but he knew better than to try anything from a strange and mysterious place. However, he couldn't deny that hearing a certain song made him feel slightly uncomfortable.

How did this place know a song that his leader used to listen to? He didn't know but he couldn't help but look around the area.]

Excuse me, I'm not the only one who hears this song, right?

[He's not going crazy, was he?]

3. Ice cream!!

[Okay, Ken had to admit, he was starting to get hungry. After spending the day searching around the city and finding nothing, he found himself back at the parlor wanting to try something. He knew better than to try and eat something but it seemed that he'll have to risk it unless he wants to starve.

Taking the risk, he decided to go for something normal. Chocolate ice cream seemed okay, right? Of course, he should have known better as he took the first bite, he found himself suddenly crying. He didn't know why but the more he stared at the ice cream, the more tears coming down his face.

Now, why was he crying? He didn't know but he was sitting somewhere in the corner crying his eyes out somewhere.]

4. Wildcard

[Surprise me!]

2

[icanfixer]

[ by the wings....... a Youth. she loves youths. don kicks her feet beneath a booth. ]

Nay, I do as well! It is not to my tastes, unlike the ice cream here, but it has a most danceable feel to it.

prompto argentum / final fantasy xv

[burstmodes]

arrival.

[ it's definitely warmer than he remembers it being.
 
maybe that's supposed to make him feel better, standing on the edge of the platform of the station and trying not to freak out. he takes a few deep breaths and slowly works his way out of his coat, shaking off some of the snow that's (somehow) still stuck to the faux fur of the collar. his head hurts, but that's... how long had he been unconscious? had someone just tossed him onto yet another train and — prompto's thoroughly given himself enough of the creeps to start walking, hurrying along and trying to take note of anything that might be important. or necessary. 

all he notices is that it's empty. even his own breathing is starting to sound annoying in the silence. 

by the time he makes it up the steps, having taken two of them with each stride, there's some relief upon seeing another person. well, several. they're wandering around like it's normal, not so much paying attention to him as they are the skyline and the city that slowly sprawls out in front of him. and unable to stand still, he wanders towards someone with an almost sheepish smile on his face. ] 

Hey, uh. Can you tell me where I am? I swear I didn't think there was any place like this that close to where I was, but I'm not that great at directions sometimes. [ he's rambling, and yet, he still continues. ] Or, like, this crowded, I guess. Seems nice though. 

[ and his expression melts into an awkward kind of grin, dragging a hand through his messy hair. ]

i scream, you scream: strawberry.

[ he's less panicked now and more curious about the city itself. for some reason, parts of it remind him of home, which eventually make him homesick and then peoplesick. is that a thing? missing people so much it makes you nauseous? prompto is certain of it, wishing he could see noct and iggy and gladio, maybe explain himself a little better and why he'd struck out on his own after the whole train thing...

at least the ice cream is sort of welcome, deciding that a shake is probably the most convenient, and unable to decide on flavor, he just goes with something mysterious. strawberry is kind of nice, and at least it's not vanilla. which is fine, but it's a little boring without adding more to it. he's just taken a sip of it when he turns and accidentally bumps into someone. 

rather than apologize, what comes out of his mouth is, ] 

You know... I don't really think I'm a person. [ shit. why had he said that? he frowns, but the words just keep coming. ] I mean, I am a person. Not just, uh, my own person? I was someone else, and now I'm not. I dunno. It's all pretty confusing. 

[ and afraid he'll say more, he slaps a hand over his mouth to keep himself from talking. ]

network. (un: chocobro)

[ as if he wouldn't find the network and a way to distract himself. ] 

hey so uh i guess i'm new in town and stuff!
thought i'd make a little intro thing and say hi
sooooo

hi i'm prompto ✌️

definitely not from around here haha 
if you wanna be friends let's be friends 
wouldn't mind having someone to talk to anyway cuz i'm sort of missing my bestie and my other friends too 

which reminds me 
anyone like to play games?? 🎮 
tell me what you're into right now and maybe we can make a day of it 😘

wildcard.

[ please feel free to run into him (literally) anywhere else listed in the locations! he'd be scoping things out and trying to get a feel for stuff after his mini-freak out about not being home. or choose any of the flavors as well! (he would be the worst crier, please hold him.) canon point somewhere after his DLC but before the timeskip; i'm flexible! pm if you want to plot or want me to write something specific for you! will match style also c: ]

strawberry... clone trauma.....

[heeroics]

[ Heero stares. He isn't expecting an apology (though he does nothing to communicate that), but:

what? ]

What?

Bulla Brief | Dragonball GT

[fashionably_strong]

NEIGHBOURHOOD

a) Train Station

On one hand, there's an underlying feeling that she should be here, but what's confusing is that Bulla cannot remember for the life of her as to why that would be. Nothing about this place is familiar. Nor does she remember boarding a train. She has nothing on her but the clothes on her body and lip gloss in her pocket.

It's almost eerie, seeing all of these empty shops with their wares on display. It doesn't feel quite right to just take things, but there's nobody here to pay for anything, either, and she is going to need some supplies if she's in a strange location. She settles this moral quandary by grabbing a notebook and pen from one store and tallying a list of supplies she's helping herself to with a note to please send the bill to Capsule Corp, attention: Bulma and Vegeta Brief, including the corporation's full address. It's the best way she can think of to alert her parents of her location.

She leaves similar notes in every shop she visits as she helps herself to a big purse, a couple of changes of clothing, a little makeup and personal hygiene supplies, and a staggering amount of snacks. It would almost seem like hoarding if it wasn't for the fact that she's eating as she shops, careful to toss out the garbage in the bins where it belongs.

"Do you remember getting on a train?" she asks the nearest person right after getting off the train. "Because I don't."

"Hey!" she greets one person while holding up two shirts. "Which one do you like better? The pink or the purple one?"

"It's so weird that they don't have anyone here except for people that just got off the trains, don't you think?" she asks someone else as she writes down her list for the latest store she's browsed.

b) To the East

Bulla explores the offices first, noting that it's very clean in here, despite being abandoned. Her hope was to try to find out some viable information about this place, but the few folders can be found have nothing helpful in them. It almost seems like everyone up and packed up practically the entire office within the last 24 hours.

"Weird," she muses out loud. Upon realizing that she's not alone in the office, she turns to another explorer. "Hey, have you seen anyone around who didn't just get here today? I wonder what happened to the people who used to work here."


2. ICE CREAM

a) Rocky Road

Bulla has downed several large bowls of ice cream with no ill effect, so she thinks nothing of helping herself to some rocky road. Though she's only 5' even with a slim build, she can easily eat enough to make a family of 6 feel completely stuffed.

Once the rocky road has begun taking effect, she approaches someone and cheerfully announces "I think it would be so much fun to take over the world."


b) Mint chocolate chip

It's just a teeny tiny spider, its entire body including leg span only taking up the circumference of a standard HB pencil. The little arachnid is up in one corner of the ice cream parlor, spinning its web and minding its own business. Despite this, Bulla is visibly distressed by its presence.

"How can you be so carefree about eating here?! That spider is going to kill us all!" she declares. "We should all get out of here now."

ice cream (b).

[rainswords]

[ The cheerfully decorated parlor drew his attention immediately and not entirely due to its bright colors. Cool treats are refreshing during the summer months, while there is a balmy sea breeze and the sun's heat bears down upon the land. Yet it's not ice cream that he seeks here, there is another cold dessert he wants. While he doesn't expect to find Mist Flowers and Qingxin popsicles, perhaps something of a similar color?

What can he say? He does miss his friend.

Like most places, it seems this ice cream parlor isn't manned by anyone so he is ready to look through the offerings only to soon hear a girl's panicked voice. Given she is the only other person here, Xingqiu immediately looks toward her noting her distressed expression. ]

Excuse me?

[ Unfortunately the spider is so small that from a distance and his vantage point, he isn't going to see it, but his eyes are darting about. Her fear is palpable, he is ready to take action... yet... ] Where is this dangerous spider...?

daniel molloy | the vampire chronicles

[beautifulboy]

A. [ This is not the first time Daniel has been jostled awake by the rock of a train car -- only, this train car isn't moving, and where Daniel would usually have experienced the same dull drop of cold resentment down his spine as recognition whisked him from sleep that he is so, so accustomed to by now.. instead Daniel experiences relief. Unmedicated and unmasked relief, for the first time in months, since he left Miami, since he lost the game of cards and the watch on his wrist and the money in his wallet.

He sits there for a long moment allowing his body to become used to what belonging feels like. He could have sat there all day, if the little parasite of his own self awareness didn't lead him to wonder what was beyond this strange train car he did not remember getting on. He squints at the walls of the station, looking for a name he recognises. The subway in New York he knows like the back of his hand so he knows he isn't in New York; this thing looks nothing like the Metrorail so that's out... could it be the L? He hasn't been that far for a while, and the last time he went he can't remember a lot of the details, so..

City Hall station. He reads from the sign outloud, as if forming the words will jog his memory. It doesn't, and he makes a face that muddles between confused and annoyed. At least there are people here, right? He looks around, but just as it always is... it's a sea of people he does not know.

No better time for an interview, right? Daniel doesn't have his tapes, but it wouldn't be the first time he's done this from memory. He might even be able to pilfer a pen from someone and scribble on the empty pamphlets if he gets lucky enough to pin someone down. He grabs a handful of them just in case, then spins to collar the person nearest to him. ]

Hey, you got a minute to answer some questions?

B. [ Daniel doesn't realise he's hungry till he's infront of the vending machine, scratching his stomach idly through his dirty sweater as he automatically lifts his hand to stick his fingers in the change deposit, hoping to find some left behind quarters he can use to buy a snack. But there isn't a change recepticle, and when Daniel looks a little closer, he can't find a slot to put change into if he had any. He frowns, gives the machine another once over, then experimentally presses a button. The machine whirrs in life, depositing a chocolate bar neatly on the waiting shelf below the glass of the machine.

He blinks at it. He bends to pick it up. As he straightens he notices someone standing nearby, and he gives them a look that screams guilty even as he assures them: ] I didn't steal this. It fell out of the machine.

C. [ Hungry for knowledge, it's no surprise Daniel quickly finds his way to the Tourist Center. The relief he'd felt on the train car has been fast disipating as more and more elements of this strange new place fail to make any sense to him. Daniel feels like he's in an episode of the Twilight Zone; everything is painfully normal whilst being off slightly in places like a picture frame that needs to be straightened, or the description of an American city with none of the actual grit that Daniel equates with the places he's grown up in.

It's weird. It's fucking weird. And that is exactly what he's telling the big silver box that answers his questions so perfectly without giving even the slightest bit of useful information, to the point where Daniel feels like he's going nuts. Is this a him problem? Is he the only one freaking out about not being able to find out what state he's in, what country? Is he just asking the wrong questions, does he need to phrase them differently? There's only so many words in the fucking English Language, he tells the machine before he kicks it and then immediately regrets doing so as his foot sings in pain. Ladies and gentlemen, no need to fear the man bullying the kiosk, he is completely mentally sound. Probably. ]

Jesus, fuck, I just wanna know what the hell is going on..

D. [ Everyone loves ice cream, right? Daniel has something of a sweet tooth, so when he discovers the source of the phantom familiar music wafting out over the district is an ice cream parlour, he can't say he's disappointed. There's people inside too, though they all look as befuddled as he feels, so he watches the mulling crowd for a long moment before making a move. If no-one approaches him, he'll move forward to the - apparently - self service freezer.

Daniel returns to the spot by the wall he was leaning on with a cup of oozing caramel ribbon, and scoops a large mouthful up as he watches the next person select their flavour. ]

Armand.. [ He says without meaning to, reaching out for what he needs to stop himself spiralling in this strange new place. He gets no reply verbally or mentally but that isn't immediately worrying, because Armand has a nasty habit lately of making Daniel work for even the smallest response, like the little shit is much too busy to respond when Daniel knows full well he's sitting in his mansion waiting for the moment Daniel makes contact again. He grunts in frustration, looking around for anything to distract him from thinking about that immortal idiot. He tries focusing in on the music, but even that drives him mad because he doesn't recognise it and that makes him feel alien and wrong in this place. He can feel a tightness in his skin, his fists begin to ball. When someone passes just a little too close to him, Daniel dashes the rest of his ice cream on the floor and claps the stranger on the shoulder. ]

Hey, why don't you look where you're going, huh? Who do you think you are?

WILDCARD. [ daniel is always getting his nose into stuff he probably shouldn't and is very nosy so if you want to assume he's eavesdropping or outright staring at your character, go for it in a wildcard! or anything else really, i'm up for whatever!

for anyone familiar with TVC i'm taking daniel from before the events following the devil's minion chapter in QOTD. so, before the concert. daniel's info is here. any questions please pm this journal, thanks! ]

a.

[justlethal]

[From behind, she may look normal enough, if one doesn't catch a hint of the colour of her skin. She is fairly covered, wearing a jacket over her tank and pants with boots. Her hair may be deemed to be dyed, although it is actually her natural colour, that ombre from dark to a purple-ish pink. The question has her turning though towards the masculine speaker, and the full extent of her difference may become a lot clearer.]

You can ask.

[As depending what the questions are, Gamora may or may not have answers for him. Most likely, she won't have satisfactory answers. It seems to be a theme of this place - a lack of information.]

Ken Kaneki | Tokyo Ghoul

[anthropophagite]

[ ooc; please beware Kaneki comes with several content warnings, but specifically cannibalism. ]

WELCOME (cw; blood)
[ kaneki was one of those who waited and waited and waited for the train to leave or for another to arrive. He probably waited a bit too long, but he didn't want to be here - wherever here is - and he just wants to go back home. The last thing he remembers, he had been kidnapped, and while that wasn't a good situation either, it felt easier than whatever is happening right now. The whole place feels creepy and eerie, and Kaneki is not comfortable (not many would be anyway).

Eventually, he leaves the train station to find someone and maybe explore. He does want to figure it out, and in the end, the isn't the type to stay still for too long. Once he is out of the train station, he looks around the city and quickly realizes this is not Tokyo at all. Too silent. Too quiet. Too empty.

He tries the kiosk but is very disappointed with the lack of specific answers - where is this place? How can I go home? How can I leave? - which does not surprise him because if they wanted him to leave this soon, naturally they wouldn't even have bothered. As he exits the kiosk, finally kaneki remembers: his clothes are covered in blood.

The white shirt he is wearing has blood near the stomach and by the looks of it, a lot. It is indeed Kaneki's blood, but it will be hard to explain since he is very much alive and not dying from a stomach wound. He looks around a bit nervously, before he pats his shirt. Right right right - ]

... a store. [ there must be one around, he assumes. Or at least someplace with clothing. It will be really awkward if this is all he will have while staying in this city ]


COFFEE TIME : supermarket
[ Exploring the city seems like a good idea, but in truth, Kaneki isn't even sure where to start. The maps he has seen seem to be somewhat accurate, but can he trust anything in this place when he knows nothing of it? He doesn't really think so.

It's perhaps silly, but the first place he goes to is the supermarket. He looks around for a while and eventually finds coffee, which does not surprise him since this place seems perfectly stocked. He takes one can... then two, then three, and then many. Kaneki had no intention of stealing since he has no idea what the consequences for that are, but it seems like that plan went out of the window and he has decided that the best way to re-focus is by having as much coffee as possible.

Anyone passing by may notice how weird this guy is, but also how nervous he is because now he has another thing to worry about: ] How... how are we meant to pay for things?


FOOD TIME: restaurant (cw; cannibalism)
[ He is not particularly hungry, thankfully. But after realizing just how devoid of the general population this place seems to be, something does start to worry Kaneki: what about food? He doesn't expect to stay here longer (expectations don't always meet reality. though) but he knows he must be more proactive regarding that particular topic.

A ghoul can not go hungry.

A hungry ghoul is dangerous, even if it's only just Kaneki. He doesn't want to go through what he went through before and do the horrible things he did before. Even if he didn't want to do them, he still did them. So he needs to get himself together and try to find a way to fix things.

He could go to the cemetery... but something seems to call for him. A familiar smell. It's not coffee, it's... it's what it is. And it calls for him. Kaneki's mind is racing but soon he is racing too, running after that smell that takes over his whole body: it leads him to a restaurant, specifically the kitchen.

Despite the building being seemingly empty, Kaneki does call out a small "Hello" before he wanders inside the kitchen only to find... meat. It looks like normal meat. It is not. But there it is, right in front of him, as if that's what is expected. Kaneki swallows dryly before he suddenly grabs it and throws the meat against a wall, clearly frustrated ]

What is going on!? [ the whole thing is starting to get to him ]

two cannibalistic hybrids walk into a bar

[mrfuckwit]

Woah, easy! I was gonna eat that!

<sub>[ Whether Akira heard Kaneki when he first walked into this restaurant or not remains a mystery. Akira, himself, is also frustrated, but for an entirely different reason altogether. He is what he is, still— a Devilman with high senses and a hellish instinct that made him different from a regular human, but his ability to transform is missing, along with some of his other powers. The alluring scent of the meat here is what drew him to this particular restaurant, but he’s a little dense and maybe doesn’t distinguish what kind of meat it actually is. Devils eat humans and find them delicious after all; he might have a hard time distinguishing between the two.

Or maybe not. Maybe he knows what kind of meat this is and doesn’t care because it’s already dead (it’s quite dead, as his buddy Ryo would say.) Either way, he was in a similar situation Kaneki was in when arriving here— stained with his own blood and some of another devils. Unlike Kaneki, though, he has no shirt on, and the arm he just freshly lost has been reattached in some way he can’t remember.

He points at Kaneki, affronted. ]</sub>

If you’re gonna be throwing food, at least say grace first!

_{[ Because as of now, God is pretty cool in his book. There’s no need to dethrone him; only protect humanity from devils like Ryo said. ]}

rokurou rangetsu ―〈 tales of berseria 〉

[swordhardy]

      ɪ. ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏᴏɴʟɪɢʜᴛ: ᴀʀʀɪᴠᴀʟ; sᴜʙᴡᴀʏ
[ Acrid.

The daemon inhales deeply as heavy eyelids raising to a haze of dull neon and screeching tracks. Rust, singed wires, overheated metal settle on his tongue in the next breath as he leans forward, flexing fingers gone stiff from sitting for who knows how long. Cracking his jaw on a yawn, Rokurou stretches and draws upright, a cascade of sunset shade kimono and scraped up armor. A mismatched gaze flicks here and there, body languid as though the situation has nothing to do with him—until a habitual hand reaches back to grasp the pommel of his sword.

The first ripple in a placid lake. ]

Oh, man…

[ Gone. As are the swords at his hip. Frustration mounts on that hollow pang, a slow ache building from the base of his skull in the upheaval of memory. Mildew, rocking seas, creaking planks—then blank. No matter how he scours he can't recall why he'd wake up here.

A solid hour is wasted scouring the train car for his weapons only to find a small vibrating brick. The questions on screen are swiftly answered before he tosses the thing into his pocket, leaving it immediately forgotten as he darts off the train and into the belly of subway system.

Hallways and turnstiles, doors and storefronts. It isn’t another prison—his initial instinct—but no less confounding despite colored maps plastered against the walls. Where the hell is he going? Where the hell is this?

But it isn’t an exit he’s looking for now. When Rokurou spies a face he skids forward on the heels of wanderworn sandals to snare whatever poor soul he’s found by slapping one gloved hand and one ungloved and palm-scarred hand down onto their shoulders so they can’t flee. ]

Hey! Hey, hey. Have you seen a sword around here? Not just any sword, it’s a longsword—about twice as long as a regular sword—you really can’t miss it! [ the eye unobscured by a thick cut of inky bang is as bright as a coin struck by sunlight, violent intensity melting into amber hues, ] I had it before but now it’s gone. Swords don’t get up and run away from home on their own, you know?

[ Assuming y’all haven’t slapped him off by now, he’ll go ahead and shake his poor victim by the shoulders. Sword!!! Where is it!!!!!! ]


      ɪɪ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏʟᴏʀ ᴀɴᴅ sᴄᴇɴᴛ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡɪsᴛᴇʀɪᴀ: ᴄᴇᴍᴇᴛᴇʀʏ
[ Petrichor cuts away the scent of steel and smudges down the anxiety spike of missing Stormhowl. The daemon exhales, lungs expanding with fresh air. He's found his way to the earthy trails and leaning trees leading to the grove of the graveyard. Statuettes watch his path from alcoves of overgrown vine, their gazes heavy. Rokurou glances over his shoulder once, twice, fine hairs along his arms prickling before relaxing again. And again. Stone remains unchanging over and over; there are no shadows hiding amongst the marble silhouettes. ]

Finally found where the locals hang out, huh…

[ Naturally drawn to the cemetery like a wraith to remainders if its corpse, he palms over the face of one of the tombstones—but the name doesn’t become any clearer. Useless anyway, it’s not like he’d have known any of the dead here … Rokurou pushes back up from his squat with a narrowing gaze.

Another itch creeps up his arms, spidering along the nape of his neck. A different itch.

Time passes and the cemetery falls quiet. Leaves rustle and water trickles down along the grooves of carved stone. Maybe you’re wandering, maybe you’re lost, or maybe you’re visiting just your favorite haunt since you’ve settled in. Regardless, a raspy voice from up high will drift over when its owner spies someone else tread across the grass. ]

Do you think they’re all dead? The locals.

[ Don’t worry—it’s not a ghost. Just a young man lounging across a thick branch up in one of the trees closest to the plots. A languid creature, one foot is propped to keep stable while the other swings, the gesture rippling soft hues of purple and orange cloth that fall around his figure.

He peers down from his perch with an easy smile. A tumble of dark hair falls over his shoulder with the incline. ]

Or did I finally find one of you? [ the tone tilts in teasing as he sizes up whoever’s come by below. the amber of that single visible eye is warm and good natured as he laughs gently, ] Hi there.


      ɪɪɪ. sᴇᴇᴍs sᴏ ғᴀʀ ᴀᴡᴀʏ: ɢʀᴏᴄᴇʀʏ sᴛᴏʀᴇ
[ A sad handful of gald, no weapons, zero materials—the daemon rubs his neck idly as he wanders around one of the small supermarkets eyeing unattended goods. It’s like they’re asking for people to steal.

He would steal anyway, but it’s the first time it’s felt so easy. Is it even stealing at this point…? After a glance toward the front counter where an open newspaper and half-finished bottle of water sit beside the register, he shrugs and reaches out a sinful hand…

A crack resounds in the quiet of the store as the top of a bottle is unceremoniously twisted open. Rokurou considers himself a daemon of taste, a self-proclaimed alcohol connoisseur, but after scanning the labels of the bottles and cans filling the refrigerators he quickly realizes that he knows only a few at best. Maybe even less than that.

The names are strange. Twisted Tea, Spiked Monster, Sourpatch Kid Vodka Lemonade, Whiteclaw … none of them are sake and there’s not even a bottle of whiskey to swig. He's never even heard of an alcohol distilled from the claws of a white beast.

Finally having selected one—something called a vodka bourbon Mountain Dew—he takes a taste…

… and hopefully you’re not too close by, because if you are? He’s spitting that mouthful all over you with tears glistening in his eyes. If not, enjoy the sight of a young man clearly not from the golden era of slamming down the Dew with a chalupa having an intense moment of suffering. Far more suffering than when he woke up in a strange city without warning or memory. ]

Ugh! Ugh? Ugh!! [ aggrieved, he locks eyes and forcefully holds out the bottle like it’s an explosive, ] Taste this!

[ No wonder they’re giving it away for free. It’s shit! ]


      ɪᴠ. 月に遠くおぼゆる藤の色香かな: ᴀᴘᴀʀᴛᴍᴇɴᴛs
[ Dusk’s purple begins to settle across the city, the sky a flood of melting color. Orange flickers, its fingers spreading out from the line of the horizon. Pink melts. Clouds curl, catching different shades in an overlaying silk drape.

A young daemon sits on the precarious edge of an apartment building’s roof. Dark hair flickers in the wind, a wild mane that sweeps out toward the dying dapples of light. The length of bang covering his face breaks, a ghost of crimson peeking from behind black before vanishing like nothing more than a trick of sunset. That dimming gold washes over his figure, warming wheat colored flesh in one last surge of day.

Deft hands move across folded paper. Press crisp seams. An art prokect that, when finished, results a flying paper crane soaring across the gap between apartment buildings. Maybe your window is open and the crane floats inside, or perhaps it drifts on a gust toward your balcony. Maybe even far below, along the street, it's flown unfettered until falling to the sidewalk in wait to be found.

It’s plain paper nicked from a convenience store. Unfolding the crane reveals a line of lettering in broad strokes. The inky scent of sharpie lingers on the page, fresh.

    ∆∏∆⊡∀∆ ∆∁∆∏ ∆∀∏∏?

If spied, the daemon cracks an inviting smile and raises a hand in greeting. If not, or maybe even if his prey finds him, a second crane joins the first. No lettering inside this time; instead, it's a nonsensical doodle of your likeness with a profound question mark beside it.

Even if he knew that the cellphone in his pocket is much more convenient it’s not like he knows how to use it. It’s been long forgotten, anyway. ]

▉▉▉
      ▶ feel free to wildcard or give any of these prompts a wildcard flavor; if you'd like to hash out some details send me a PM!

iv

[chokuto]

[The onset of darkness makes the city's empty spaces worse — wide, hollow, echoing distances with shadows like long fingers stretched at every sharp edge. Sasuke has spent the day searching for information; he's found nothing, and he feels he has less than he did even when he began, as if the hours of futile investigation took something away. A precarious sliver of determination. In its place, Sasuke is left restless and frustrated as sunlight slips and night descends, pulling a veil across the sky.

The height of the buildings is an advantageous location. He'd scaled one earlier when deciding what part of the city to explore next, and it is here he returns, the concrete rim of a residential tower his chosen surveillance point. And where normally he would have picked out the presence of another person across roofs with keen perception — distracted thoughts, as well as diminished power, make it possible for the first crane to descend on him unaware.

A hand lifts, deft fingers snatching it out of the air moments before it lands atop messy black hair. He doesn't open it. Mismatched eyes, one pale purple and one black, coolly assess the stranger on the other roof without a wave in response. Only when the second crane swoops down will he bother to unfold the paper, finding the doodle, complete with a frowny face on the caricature of himself and the bold ?, within.

Breath fans from his lips as Sasuke steps up onto the edge of the building's embankment and leaps that distance, buoyed by chakra, an ease to this preternatural movement. He lands gracefully a pointed distance from the other man.]

What do you want? [Both cranes, crinkled paper warm from his hand, are tossed back.] This is juvenile. There are other ways to get my attention.

elan ceres (enhanced person no. 5) | gundam witch from mercury

[mercurialnesses]

i. orientation

[There's a boy sitting on the train. He seems very concerned about the sway and rumble of the train. Any time there's an off sensation, he seems to brace himself, as if expecting something terrible to happen. Once he seems to ascertain that nothing is going to kill him, he relaxes.

Eventually, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out the phone. Elan cocks his head and looks down at this bright screen that's so... flat. There's no layers. Nothing to manipulate. All he has to do is select something...

He turns you, another person on the train and waves the phone overhead.]

Did you figure out how to work this thing? It's so outdated.

[It seems like. Maybe. Just maybe. How it works is not actually lost on him and he just wants to see what you say.]

ii. graveyard

[It's funny that he makes to the graveyard. He wasn't going there. If someone pointed it out on a map, Elan would have turned on his heel and purposefully walked the opposite direction.

But he's here now and so it makes sense to look.

He moves through the graves, entire body weighted with trepidation, but he doesn't seem hesitant. It's a fear that he'll find what he is looking for.

But he doesn't and he doesn't know how to feel about that. A dark smile twists at his lips.]

Of course, she wouldn't be here. What would they have buried...?

iii. you scream i scream ice cream

[Elan wanders around the city, looking for something to do. None of it is familiar, so he figures might as well try to find something interesting.

Normally, he wouldn't find ice cream all that compelling but he'd been digging for scraps since food is harder to find when everything is a pile of wreckage.

The shop is so quaint in it's over the top colors and it makes him nearly laugh at the idea that anyone would find such a thing compelling. Yet, he enters anyway, somehow entertained by the idea of entering such a ridiculous place.

Elan ends up with an combination of impulsive combination of rocky road and strawberry and is taking slow spoonfuls before he looks around the parlor and actually decides to notice the other patrons. No one familiar. Still, might as well have a conversation now that he's apparently off his chain.]

Did you know I'm a CEO back home? My company is one of the most profitable and successful technology manufacturers both in space and on earth. My, I wonder what my stocks will do without me.

iv. wildcard

[Let's go wild! feel free to message me at worldtype]

iii

[horrifictie]

[ Harry is still in the middle of deciding what he wants, his indecisive brain having twenty-four different thoughts going off, and they're all silenced when the kid next to him starts talking.

DRAMA - Such confidence, sire! A true wunderkind gracing you with his presence. Yet still, doubt creeps in your mind at his proclamation.
AUTHORITY - Who cares what his position is when you're older than him. Typical disrespect and flagrant showboating.
RHETORIC- Ok, let's skip the preamble for once and jump to the point. Say the line, Harry! ]

Shh! Silence bourgeois devil child. I'm deciding on my ice cream.

nill | DOGS: BULLETS & CARNAGE

[culver]

i. living sucks, but it's sucking just a little now [the station]

Nill comes to on a train, which is weird, because she's never been on a train before. It's also weird that she has a phone, because she's never had one of those, either. Two new experiences in such quick succession is a lot for Nill to process and deal with in the moment, but she does what she thinks is the most logical thing: she fills out the orientation survey, and waits for the train to stop.

It's hard not to focus on the way her heart is trying to beat right out of her chest from fear, but she manages.

How did I get here? Where is Heine? She doesn't voice the questions, but they run through her head like a mantra as she slowly and carefully taps out her answers on the phone screen.

The door opens, and she stays seated for a few seconds, heart pounding away, waiting to see if anyone will, well, get on the train. But nothing happens, nobody comes. So she stands, creeps towards the door, and peeks out around the corner. Empty. It's all empty. While this might make another person even more terrified, Nill is actually relieved that she's alone for the moment. It gives her time to think, to take one step, then two out on to the platform, head swiveling from side to side and wings trembling behind her. She looks back to the train, but it hasn't moved. No one else has left a car. Nobody is on the platform. All she can hear is the sound of her own breathing.

It's just her. She's really alone. Now the fear kicks back in, all logical thought set aside for the moment.

Nill bolts up the stairs, and only once she reaches the top does she spot other people. Her small wings flare out behind her, and she freezes where she stands, eyes wide, breaths short. When was the last time she was alone around people she didn't know? She doesn't want to think about it. She presses her wings to her back, and then her back to the closest wall. She stands there, unmoving, as if she can just sink into the brick and disappear from wherever this is. If only she was so lucky.

When she finally feels like she's able to move again, she starts moving towards the closest exit, but since she sticks as close to the wall as she can, her progress is slow. And very noticeably strange to anyone who happens to look her way.

ii. and i don't wanna cry no more [the city park]

Making it out of the station is a trial, but she manages to do it in one piece. Nill is on edge, jumping at every movement in her peripheral and any sound she doesn't immediately recognize. She hurries out one of the doors, too busy trying to fight the panic welling up her throat to stop and think that she should look where she's going first. Her wings are pressed close to her back, shaking, and she wishes she had a big coat to cover them with. People are staring. She doesn't know if they are, she just assumes.

By the time her eyes really focus on what's around her, all she can see is green. If Nill could speak, she'd be speechless. She's never seen so many plants in one place--actually, she doesn't think she's seen this many plants ever in her life. It's hard to make anything grow underground.

It's silent, except for the sound of leaves over her head brushing against one another in a slight breeze. Her heart and breathing slow, her mind clears a little.

She's on a path, and looks down at the grass on the edge of the paved walkway. It looks--soft, and fresh, and a hundred other things she can't even find the words for. She's never seen grass like this, grown in fertile ground and well-watered. An image of grass she'd once seen, brownish and scraggly, flashes through her mind, and that is so incongruous with what she's seeing now that she just separates them completely. They can't be the same thing.

Nill crouches down right there on the walkway, hand outstretched like she wants to touch the grass, but hovering just above it because she somehow can't bring herself to. As if touching it will break it, will ruin the perfectly curated look of it.

iii. so i set my bar real low [wildcard]

[i'm up for anything! nill would probably come from the end of chapter 101. i will match either prose or brackets, i don't have a preference. feel free to pm me at this journal or ping me on plurk at watchet for anything specific!]

{ and i don't wanna cry no more

[matermali]

[ An angel.

From behind a tall hedge, pale eyes gaze unblinking, with a silence only from breath that's been held fast. For while she wants nothing more than to reach out and run her fingertips along the fringes of those tiny wings, Vanessa is afraid that any movement may startle and shatter the delicate looking thing.

An angel.

The girl moves and breathes as prey do, and Vanessa is a predator to the bones, drawn naturally to something that appears so...pure. But this is no hunt. For what she can see, this girl looks around in such a wonder that it reminds Vanessa of someone else. Naturally, a protective urge draws her closer with silent, calculated steps; to better see if the child feels brave enough to touch the grass.

Such hesitation. For Vanessa, her ruin is her own impatience. ]

It isn't poisonous.

[ The raspy voice that drifts from behind the girl is accompanied by the lurking form of a woman in a fine, dark dress, with black hair tied back away from an expression that may pass to anyone else as neutral, almost distantly friendly. By contrast, Vanessa's gaze carries a hidden intensity, as if the anticipation of what comes next drives her even more than this sweet creature who treats even grass with such care. ]

akira fudou | devilman

[mrfuckwit]

ARRIVAL. (CW: NUDITY)

<sub>[ You would think that someone would instantly panic on waking up in an unknown train by an unknown means, but the first thing that Akira can marvel at is the device that is vibrating near him. The last he remembers, it was the year 1987 and the only phones he knows of is a corded phone. Akira is.. severely under-dressed and bloodstained both from his own blood and that belonging to another creature: a devil. As for severely under-dressed, well.. he's not wearing any clothes at all. Worry not, though, because it appears he's arrived in his half-form with his wings missing, and anything that would be subject to public indecency is properly censored by naps of dense, curly black fur. Still, he should think about finding some kind of clothing, right?

Something else he is marveling at is the one arm that he just freshly lost has seemed to be replaced and after figuring the whole phone thing out, Akira marches out of the train station, absolutely gobsmacked by having both his arm and.. the technology. ]</sub>

Holy shit. Shit. This is amazing.

_{[ The second he sees someone else nearby, he can't help but run up to them (??!!) and gesture at the phone that he just received. ]}

Hey! Hey you! Look at this! Look at it! And.. look at this too! I have both my arms!

_{[ He's so excited, his tail is even wagging! What are you going to do about this idiot demon boy who doesn't seem to understand the severity of the situation........ interact or call the nonexistent cops? ]}

SOUTHWEST.

<sub>[ you're hoping this prompt won't have nudity anymore but you're wrong.......

By the time Akira has made it to the graveyard, he's at least found a pair of pants to wear and cleaned up the blood off of his body. He's done a bit of exploring and now seems a little more frustrated at his situation. Correction, he's extremely frustrated at this situation because he's realizing that he doesn't have any access to his abilities other than a few cosmetic features he has naturally from being a demon and human hybrid. We all know he's not the brightest tool in the shed when it comes to stuff like this (yet, he does well academically; it doesn't make sense to me either) but he's thinking and kind of talking to himself as he goes for a stroll... was this the act of some kind of devil? An act of God, maybe? Perhaps he needs to try harder.. pop those devil wings out a little better, so when he's found a clearing that seems like it would fit his wingspan without breaking anything, Akira hunches over and takes a deep inhale, arms outspreading, and then he concentrates really hard... and... ]</sub>

Go... DEVILWING!!!

_{[ Yeah, no, that ain't gonna do it and it only fuels his aggression which was a lovely trait his demon parasite gave him when they merged together. In a bout of anger, he turns to the nearest gravestone and punches it which.. hurts a lot more than it should? ]}

God.. DAMMIT!!

ICE CREAM.

<sub>[ And finally, Akira is fully clothed, having given up on being able to transform into his seven foot form. This is Fine.

He's done some decompressing emotionally when he finds the ice cream parlor and decides he probably needs a treat after all of this. The brunette strolls right in and upon seeing someone else inside who is already looking at the ice cream behind the glass, he perks up slightly and stands next to them. ]</sub>

Yo.. are you going to try it or not? What if it's poisoned?

_{[ And yet, his dark eyes are eyeballing the chocolate flavor with a certain kind of gluttonous lust. Oh yeah, he's gonna get that one. ]}

_{[ Akira's canon deals with some triggering issues explained here. You can also read more about him over here. If you have any questions or wanna plot, you can contact me at justaways! ]}

ice cream.

[rainswords]

Oh.

[ It's not a bad question to ask but at this point, if he hasn't died from ingesting poisoned food then it's unlikely to happen now. Although it would be kind of ironic if he is at last done in by ice cream, still he ends up laughing and shrugging it off. That's totally a none answer and he is aware. Does motioning for the stranger to take a valiant leap forward into the world of delicious cool desserts help? Probably not.

At last, he offers some words of confidence. ] None of the other establishments have harmful foods. Look carefully, you can see that people have been ordering ice cream or at least serving themselves. [ Some of the containers aren't as full as others, some flavors just happen to be more popular. ] Mind if I ask which one are you planning to try?

Rosamund du Prix/Sleeping Beauty | D20: Neverafter

[rosebleed]

A) WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

Hello? Little birds? Little creatures?

[With no bow, no swarm, no friends, and moreover no clues, Rosamund steps onto the platform on shaking knees. She's no coward mind you, but this place looks absolutely insane. Metal everywhere, not a soul in sight, and this odd magic mirror that fits in the palm of her hands and only demands questions of her. No answers give back, not even a quaint rhyme of introduction. Frankly it's the stingiest bewitched item she's ever met.

Her boots make a soft tread on the tile, yet still they echo in the emptiness. She shivers, rubbing at her scarred arms. The tattered gown is serviceable but does nothing to hide the damage done by the endless briars. Some of which still grow around her middle. Out of her middle, another set circling the crown of her head. Inert for now, but indomitable as ever.]

Hello? Timothy, Red? Pinocchio? [Perhaps it's silly to be calling for them like this, she'd have heard Red and Pinocchio for sure. Some kids are as quiet as mice. Those two were a herd of elephants.] Gerard, are you here? PIB?

[No answer. She trots forward to the unmanned merchant's stall. Nothing in it looks familiar. She plucks a smooth package up with two fingers, wrinkling her nose.]

...Snickers? [She turns it over. It. Um. Well, it's brown?] Is it supposed to make you laugh? Or will laughing open it?

...Do I want to open it?

[What if it's cursed?]


B) I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM

[Okay she's had enough. Rosamund slams the parlour door open.]

Oh wow, what do you know! Empty too! What a shock! What an unexpected surprise! [She swoops in, huffing, impatient.] And let me guess: nothing of interest behind this counter! Nothing on the paper! Ooooh, aaah! What a mysterious mystery! My goodness.

[She tosses the receipt roll aside and swivels on the goods.]

And more mystery food. Oh what a clever— [She nearly lets the word slip.] — architect you are! Boy, you sure got me! What should I do? Hmm?

[She doesn't want to draw the attention of The Authors. She's not fit to fight an unknowable god that can edit her out of existence on a whim. But also, she's furious. This new story is empty. Completely devoid of life, of reason, of a sensibly built castle. Also she has no weapons and her magic is barely working. What the hell is the point of all this?

Rosamund grabs a scoop and digs it into the nearest bucket.]

What? What do you want from me? Should I gorge myself on ice cream until I pass out and die of boredom?! Is that what you want?! [She jams the whole scoop in her mouth.] MMMMM-MM-MMM! Oh my, it's incredible! So deliciou...oh.

[The scoop clatters to the ground. She curls over on the counter, clutching her head and groaning.]

Uuugh...brain freeze...


C) NETWORK

[As online introductions were, this one could use some work. It starts with a mass-spam of an inept selfie. Her face is rumpled, mouth half open, squinting into the camera. Actually, it's a series of selfies. She had it on burst. Within the set she goes from perplexed to shocked to positively delighted.]

AH Is This a sort of portrait making device

oh why are there words suddenly

hello Can you hear me Hello? to whom am I speaking? HA CHOO

sorry it's really dusty

i promise i aimed away dear stranger

[speech to text is doing her no favours]


D) WILDCARD

[I'm game for anything gang, feel free to surprise me, pm me with ideas, spin off one of my prior prompts, etc etc. FTR Rosamund is 18yo and from a horror/comedy DnD liveplay show, I'll avoid spoilers by default.]

b

[guujis]

[In the end it's simply impossible to ignore the girl, with the racket she's making in the ice cream shop. Yae had meant to keep her observations from a distance — she has no interest eating anything herself, even if one of the flavors did appeal to her — but there is a point where such distant examination becomes useless, and involving herself is the preferable option.

... Well, she'll stand in the doorway, at least. She doesn't want to get a spoon thrown at her.]

Excuse me, is all of this really necessary for a bit of dessert? [The question comes with exasperation. Yae leans in the threshold of the parlor, lit half by the fluorescent light inside, dressed like an indecent shrine maiden with pink, vulpine ears and an ornamental gold headpiece. She does not look like she belongs — but then, neither does this strange little human.] You're going to call in the whole city at this rate, if you keep it up. No need to take out your frustrations on the innocent food.

[Seeing the state the young woman is in, Yae lets out a slow breath, sparing a step inside the shop. Then she halts again, this time because the girl's appearance is... more alarming than first thought, covered in those sharp thorns. Yae has enough self-preservation first to wait and see.]

You ate too fast. You'll be fine in a minute, child.

isis ☥ ennead

[hekas]

apartment hunting.

( the buildings in this world are unwavering giants, made of stone that is unfamiliar and towering high enough to block out the sun. there are taller buildings back home in kemet, isis knows, but those are made of life and sand that is familiar to her.

there is little here that feels alive to her, though she knows that this is not the du'at nor any shores beyond those she knows. the nile does not flow here, there is no connection to what is home. the sun overhead is not carried by a golden chariot, does not warm her skin and remind her that her grandmother is ever-watching.

the warmth of the sun does not touch her skin now, not in the cold halls with many numbered doors that stretches forth before her. sighing, she takes a step and knocks on a door and then the one after it. some do not budge when she tries to turn the handles. most don't. at least until she adds a little force, shoulder pressed to it. and then it gives.

it is unclear if the dwelling, if one could call it that, is abandoned or not. she steps inside, narrowing her eyes before calling out. ) Hello?

Is anyone at home? ( her voice rings through, tone even and pleasant as if she were nothing more than a maiden lost. she looks it, she hopes, dressed in clothes she found at an unmanned merchant and without her crown, without the golden and beaded necklace that adorned her neck upon arrival. ) Does anyone dwell here? I mean no harm if you mean none.

( it is warning enough, no? for a woman potentially breaking into another's home. )

graveyard.

( as the sun disk is carried beneath the horizon, isis stands amongst the mausoleums and toppled grave stones. they bear no inscription that she knows, no spells to help the dead pass safely into her husband's realm.

no.

no there is nothing here that is familiar at all, no place that gives her hint of what has formed this illusion all around her. it is not, she knows, her own doing or that of one of her sisters. set's perhaps? but no. he is without his godhood now and that power was never within his grasp.

still. it could be his doing. isis feels an unfamiliar flutter in her chest and that. that leaves her afraid. it has been so long since she has felt the beat of a panicked heart.

the sound of movement draws sharp ears and she spins around, searching for what or who it is that has made the sound. ) Show yourself. I fear nothing.

( nothing but the sound of her own heart; nothing but the thought that she is trapped in an illusion of another's making. ) Tell me what this place is. I demand it!

i scream for ice cream.

( whatever has drawn the residents of this great city to one particular merchant is unknown to isis, who stands before the display and looks between the options with brows furrowed.

ice shaved into smaller pieces, topped with fruit is known to her but not this. whatever it is. she frowns, looking at the list of options before her. she sighs, looking about if there is anyone to help her. )

What makes the road rocky? ( she asks, pointing to the label before her if anyone is close.

but if there is no one near by she makes her way over to a stall, sliding in front of anyone who is eating without stop and offers the look a mother may give a small child. ) You will make yourself sick.

wildcard.

( ooc: feel free to pm me if you'd like something else or throw something my way. i'm open to most things. )

ice cream!

[prayererror]

[Dimos is busy dipping a sample stick into the rocky road tub when asked about the naming convention, and he turns to tip his head at Isis, the picture of dull confusion. And also dustiness. He's so dusty.]

It is not a literal road. But there appears to be lumps within the base mixture. I have not yet identified if they are edible, but it would be a reasonable assumption.

...Would you prefer to taste test it? I have tasted other blends, and they have not contained poison.

[Mind you, he's not built to detect things like 'magic' in food, at least not in this fashion. If it's not directly harmful, his fake, weird tongue isn't going to pick up on it!

And maybe he'd have more concern for another, for the risk of offering poisoned food on a sample stick, if only his moral compass were here in the first place. Alas.]

trucy wright | apollo justice: ace attorney

[poofs]

a. arrival

[ a young girl dressed in a tophat and a cape is taking careful steps through brickwork plaza. her head swivels to take in the unnerving quietude and unfamiliarity of the surrounding city, the innately curious part of her at odds with her intuition. where are the officials working at the train station? why do most people meandering here seem as lost as she feels? and when did she step onto a train in the first place?

southwest of city hall, she approaches the person nearest to her, putting on her best doe-eyed look and folding her hands behind her back. ]

Um, excuse me! [ she gestures towards the tourist center. ] Would you mind coming in there with me? Just to check things out!

b. i scream, you scream

[ pay no attention to the preteen in a magician costume shuffling on the floor near the jukebox.

or do! she doesn't seem to be concerned about tripping someone or weirding people out. she's too preoccupied with working her hard plastic wand between the jukebox and the linoleum. ]

Come on... Almost there...!

[ nothing to see here. unless you want to use the jukebox too, because she might be staying put for a while. ]

c. i scream again, you scream again

[ wherever your character is in the ice cream parlor, they feel a small tug at their clothes. when they whirl around to meet it, trucy is standing beside them, grimly looking up from beneath the brim of her tophat.

she sneaks a hand from beneath the cape shrouded around her shoulders, and with it, she motions for your character to lean down so she can whisper something in their ear. ]

d. wildcard

( hit me up with anything/through pm! )

arrival

[anthropophagite]

[ kaneki is pretty lost, but he is glad he isn't the only one around given the city looks pretty deserted. Everyone who came from the train seems to be confused about what is going on, and naturally ken is too, but he is also a bit worried that his shirt has blood on it - he will cover it with his jacket, it's not like he is bleeding now or anything.

When he hears someone approaching, Kaneki attempts to offer a small polite smile, following but a shy "hello" with a nod of his head, and then his eyes follow to the tourist center ]

Ah... of course. We should try to figure out what is going on.

[ he doesn't mind company - in fact, he welcomes it. kaneki thrives when he is with other people, after all ]

Did you come out of the train as well?

USS Laffey | Azur Lane | not reserved

[killer_bunny]

I – The Arrival of the Bunny

Laffey glanced here and there. Discerning her surroundings as she looked over the subway station. Her eyes were half-lidded, tired looking. She even yawned, looking as though she had just awoken from a nap. Ugh, her head is pounding right now too, one thing after another, first a weird phone. Then a weird train. And now a weird place, with weird people. Speaking of, she might as well give the apparent locals and new arrivals a look over.

Hm… humans? They all appear to be human at a glance. She does entertain the notion of having wandered into the Mirror Seas. As near as the shipgirl is aware, that is always a possibility. But it’d be a rather odd one if it is. She pauses for a moment longer.

Blinks.

Then approaches the nearest person. Her bunny ears poked up and swayed prominently as she looked the other person over.

“You, who kidnapped Laffey? And where did they take me?”

II – Sacred Nap Time of The Bunny

The Graveyard is many things. Creepy, lonely, and forgotten. This was not a place to be wandering around normally, let alone a place to lay yourself to rest. And yet, there is a lump in front of one of the worn down headstones. A girl, curled up and sleeping rather soundly on the ground. Bundled in a pink jacket, and twin bunny ears on top of her head.

An odd sight to see, certainly.

Maybe a little worrying too? Given just how deep her sleep seemed to be! In fact, is she even asleep? She seems to be sleeping a little too soundly…. Is she…? Could she be!?

…She’s not, but it certainly looks like it?

The gravestone reads: "Here Lies Laffey"

How quaint.

III – The Bunny Quenches Her Thirst

There’s empty wine bottles on the restaurant table. At least two of them. Plus one that’s half empty. That one was currently in the hand of Laffey. Her eyes were the same as ever. Tired, half-lidded, lacking in motivation or interest. But her lips were currently occupied by the bottle itself. She practically inhaled the contents as she downed it.

The bottle is eventually set down onto the table with a sigh and burp from the destroyer. Her cheeks were flushed, and she was swaying this way and that. The smell is very strong, and the wine looks rather expensive.

Laffey herself is… crawling onto the table. Back against it as she stares up at the ceiling. A hand blindly reaching for a bottle, pouting as she does so.

“Mmn… c’me ‘ere~.”

IV – Ice Cream and Bunny

”Oooohhh…!”

Her eyes actually lit up (as much as they could) as she spotted the flavors of ice cream. She wasn’t certain which one to choose! So-!

She grabs a bowl and approaches her quarry. “To make sure of their quality… Laffey will personally try them all…. Mmh… that’s the reason.”

What a brave soul!

V – Jukebox Bunny

As she polished off her ice cream, Laffey began to contemplate what to do next. This was a great distraction, but she needed to head into other things. The wheels in her sleepy head turned as she took stock of what she had and didn’t have. She doesn’t have her rigging. She feels significantly less strong and fast.

Most of the people here are human. The sea was nowhere to be seen. And now she was listening to what was playing on the jukebox.

”Broken and torn emotions on my mind
Living in dark and bitter destiny
Slowly I'm falling deep into the sea”

…She stays silent for a moment longer as the song continues. “Mmh… Laffey supposes she can do something… fight until the last light has faded…”

She thinks for a moment, still listening.

VI – Network Post Video | un; lafite.82

Hello, this is Benson-class destroyer - Laffey, Hull Number DD-459… reporting to say hello… or something….

[She looks like she just woke up in her new apartment. In fact, she probably did. Her clothes were a mess, and didn’t look like she fixed her hair at all.

Its actually getting pretty late.

And by late we mean it's almost evening. Which is late for her.]

Mmh… that’s all… I think… I might head back to sleep… if anyone… [yawns]

…If anyone doesn’t wanna talk… that’s fine….

[WILDCARD]

[ooc: Don’t see anything you like? No worries! Feel free to drop whatever you want here! Or hit me up at either DISCORD: BILLBILL#6387, or PLURK: MR_CYNICALPERSON. Feel free to also PM as well if you’d like!]

vi, @DONQUIXOT3

[icanfixer]

[ wow, what a title. not a single bit makes a lick of sense to don. it probably would to ishmael, but miss don quixote here has never been near a boat in her lifetime.

she replies in kind, though she's much more awake in her feed than poor laffey. ]

Salutations, Little Miss Laffey! I am Don Quixote, and should thee require company, I am more than happy to grant it. What is a Benson-class destroyer?

Marcoh | Fear & Hunger: Termina

[faststance]

i. arrival

[ Am I dreaming right now?

Jerking suddenly, he feels vibrations in his pocket and pulls out what looks like a rectangular device with a glass screen. He frowns at the sight of it and carefully reads the words. ]

Begin orientation?

[ The back of his neck feels cold. He pauses to look around - wondering if he chooses 'no' that some monstrosity will crawl out to saw his legs off. Sweat builds up on his fingertips but as he waits, nothing happens.

Clenching his free hand into a tight fist -- knuckles white, he nods to himself: ] All right. [ It is another second of hesitation before he presses 'yes.' Sitting up straighter, he waits but actually it appears the screen changes. Um, what?

He feels a little foolish and isn't sure if his answers were all that good. But he finishes and finally leaves the train. Rather than argue this time around, he decides to play along and sees what happens. So far, the answer is -- nothing. The device is shoved into his pocket as he heads out into the station.

As soon as he sees someone, he holds his hands up. HIs clothes are dirty with old, dried blood staining the material. It is especially bad around the sleeves and ends of his jacket. Yet his hands are clean. ]

Hello? I don't mean any harm.

[ Marcoh knows what he looks like. He knows how intimidating that he can be and with how he looks after just two days in Prehevil, he can imagine how he looks. So, he tries this approach. ]

I'm just as lost as you are.

ii. arrival - part deux

Hello? Hello...?

[ Marcoh nervously swallows as he calls into the store. When silence greets him, he breathes out and heads inside. Whatever is available, he starts shoving it into his pockets. Of course, he can't hold everything -- he tries to focus on items that would be good for makeshift bandages and other medical items.

A wrapped sandwich falls out of his pocket onto the floor. He pauses a few seconds before picking it up. Plopping down on the floor, he unwraps the food and takes a bite. His eyes fix themselves on the ground.

He only vaguely lifts his head up as soon as a shadow comes into his line of vision. The grip on the sandwich tightens before he looks up: ]

...

[ Marcoh isn't sure what to say. Someone found him eating on the floor with his pockets filled with random items; he feels a little embarrassed and so his face ends up looking flushed. ]

iii. day in the park

Not even one bird...

[ It gives him an eerie feeling to be standing in a park without any sound of anything. He frowns -- not even a frog or mouse. Isn't that kind of wrong? At least Prehevil had animals. And in seeing them, it put him temporarily at ease. ]

Not even a squirrel.

[ Disquiet settles on him but he breathes in and sets out further into the park. He isn't sure why -- maybe he wants to make sure there is nothing.

Clearing his throat, he cups his hands around his mouth: ]

Caaw, caaw. Caaw, caaw?

[ Sure, crows aren't all that nice and seem to only be willing to work with someone so long as mice say so, but he still thinks of calling out to see if he can't find any. However, he's met with silence. ]

... well, that was a bust.

iv. wildcard

[ Throw whatever you like at me. Or if you're not sure, you can send me a PM to ask. ]

iii (or, speaking of crows...)

[absurdgrudge]

[Goro was just walking around. It's a habit he has very thoroughly formed, restless energy needing a release; better to work it out with casual exercise than to snap at someone.

This is to say, the park is somewhere that he frequents. So, when he hears something that almost sounds like bird call, he immediately heads to the source of the noise, which reveals a... rather rough looking guy. And no birds.]

Excuse me, but... [He ponders the phrasing for a moment, before mentally going fuck it.] Were you cawing?

Chongyun || Genshin Impact

[pureyang]

Welcome to the Neighbourhood
[Having never set foot on a mechanical vehicle like the train before, it takes Chongyun a while to gather his bearings and figure out where exactly he is. The strange device he found himself with held no answers, and while it was frustrating, he decides to take it with him. Exiting the train and heading out onto the platform, Chongyun can’t help get an uneasy feeling. As an exorcist he is used to travelling to haunted locales and abandoned buildings, but this place seems… more bizarre and unsettling than even he is used to.]

[The lack of people doesn’t exactly help that uneasy feeling go away, even as he exits the station and heads down the road. Sure he’s used to working alone, or going to remote locations, but a full and bustling city like this SHOULD have people. But alas, there is no one here; just empty streets lined with empty buildings and shops, hinting at life and bustling activity and yet showing none of it. Chongyun takes a moment to stop before calling out into the empty city.]

Hello? Is there anyone here?

[He pauses, frowning, before bringing a hand to his chin.]

No people… Is this the cause of some evil spirit? I might have to investigate further…

I Scream, You Scream
[Chongyun’s special constitution requires him to take his meals cold, and he has special popsicles to help control his Yang energy. But while his popsicles are a necessity, he never thought there would be a full store dedicated to such things, so the ice cream parlour is surprising in more ways than just its appearance. Though quite overstimulating in colour, Chongyun decides to enter and see what kind of place this is.]

[While the music is certainly familiar in an odd sort of way, and the colours are quite mismatched and bright, the place itself seems quite nice. And though it still feels wrong to just help himself to the food present, he does decide to try some of the ice cream that’s offered. The first bite of ice cream he has is cool and refreshing, and just what he needs to help calm his energies.]

[And he’s delighted to discover that there’s more than one flavour! Much more than the plain and somewhat-tasteless popsicles he eats for his Yang energy. On a whim, he decides to try the chocolate, which is rich and creamy and bolder than the vanilla had been. But as he eats, he finds his mood going from calm to melancholic, and with each bite he can’t help his mind from wandering to more morose thoughts. He doesn’t even realize he has tears in his eyes until someone comes by and points them out, which will cause him to look up from his silent sobs.]

O-Oh… I-I’m sorry. I don’t… know what’s wrong…

[He has to stifle another sob, rubbing his eyes. What’s wrong with him??]

Psychic Shop
[A shop dedicated to the occult is going to catch the attention of a young exorcist, if only to draw him in as a potential place to restock his supply of exorcism tools. He enters the shop and has to blink as his eyes adjust to the dim light, but it certainly seems like a good place to find supplies that exorcists use. He’s already seeing a few items he could use for talismans or protective charms.]

[But as he explores the shop, a frown forms on Chongyun’s face. Some of the herbs and crystals he recognizes, but a lot of the objects seem… superfluous, or unnecessary. And that frown deepens the more he looks, taking in the gaudy spellbooks and even some of the silly adornments. Eventually, he comes to a stop in the middle of the shop and crosses his arms.]

This shop is just… ridiculous. Half of the protective talismans in here don’t even look like they’re real! Someone could really get hurt if an evil spirit comes along and they’re using a fake protective amulet. Are they trying to take advantage of the people’s desperation by offering false remedies just to make a quick Mora??

[He blinks as the words leave his mouth, before he shakes his head and takes a deep breath.]

Woah, calm down, Chongyun. Deep breaths…

Wildcard
[Got something you’d like to try out? Feel free to write up a starter, or PM me to plot something!]

ice cream

[stubboarn]

[ alright! people are wilding out because of the sweet treat. dimitri was about to eat a mint chocolate chip thing, but he puts it down on a cup and tosses it discreetly on the side instead.

he moves to comfort him. ]

You don't have to apologize. Here - [ he grabs some napkins from a table for him to dry his eyes with. ] - have a seat. What's going on?

Merrin | Jedi Fallen Order

[dathomirs]

Welcome to the Neighborhood

Merrin takes her time leaving the train station, as she's never seen anything quite like it before. She has not been away from Dathomir for so long as to have seen nearly all the galaxy has to offer, but this place -- it is stranger than any of those she's explored by far. She spends a fair amount of time examining the train and platform before finally making her way to the Southwest, where she may be found kneeling by a statue that's covered in particularly stubborn vines and trying to clear them so she can read the faded illegible text.

Later on, she may be found in the graveyard, staring just a little too long at a gravesite and looking as though she's seen an actual ghost. Feel free to interrupt her thoughts, or perhaps startle the life out of her.

Ice Cream, You Scream

Merrin finds her way to the ice cream parlor and can be found seated on one of the high stools at the counter, very carefully nibbling at bites of chocolate and rainbow sherbet intermittently, which after a time leave her looking incredibly morose. She glances around and furiously attempts to dash away the tears that have sprung to her eyes. Offer her a handkerchief, but beware: you are very likely to get an overenthusiastic hug for your troubles.

Wildcard

Want to find Merrin somewhere else? Just tag in; she's making her way around and can run into your character nearly anywhere.

Ice Cream, You Scream

[codenametesla]

Althea doesn't want to... well, it's not evesdropping since the woman isn't talking, but she's trying really hard not to look like she's staring or being overly nosy as she tries to get her own cookies and cream ice cream bowl.

But when it looks like she's trying not to cry, well. She can only feign an ignorant distance for so long. And so, she'll walk over to stand next to Merrin, holding out some napkins she grabbed along the way.

"Is... everything okay?"

cal kestis | star warsssss

[rebuilder]

I. arrival

[ Cal's first thought upon feeling the rattling of the train is that he's probably late for work and that he should wake up before he misses his stop. But Prauf will wake him when they get there, in the meantime -- he's content to hunker down in his poncho and catch up on some shut eye. At least until the annoying buzzing in his pocket draws him out of his light slumber. ]

Whattimeisit?

[ Of course, it's not a train to work he's on. That realization slowly sinks in. He left Bracca, Prauf is gone and he should be in his bunk in the engine room, not a train he know he didn't step foot on. Blinking he pulls out the buzzing device. It doesn't give a lot of information, like why he'd been taken and where the others are.

Cal feels unease as he exits the train and station, not really sure of where he's going. A place like this should be full of people, and yet his footsteps echo - he really wishes BD was here but at least his lightsaber is with him.

But finally, there's people! ]

Hey! You wouldn't have happened to have seen a droid around here, would you? Small, BD unit, red and white paint job?

ii. park + graveyard

[ Does he find the park or does it find him? Feels weird to be walking through this large vast space without his droid racing ahead of him, scanning and chirping with excitement at every new discovery. Cal's not really sure where he's going, sure he'd peeked at the map when he'd stepped off the station. But where there's trees, there's places to climb; hence you might spot someone scaling up the ivy and into a tree before taking a leap into the next one. Why? Why not, really. It's a decent enough view of the surrounding area at least.

Cal's feet don't touch the ground again until he finds himself at the graveyard which is, definitely not creepy at all. He walks amongst the rows of graves, jumping over fallen branches and stones in haste to leave this place and the sense of dread behind.

In his haste, his foot catches on a branch and he finds himself face to face with a stone, words barely legible. Grumbling he pushes himself up and scowls at the branch that seems to mock him before turning back towards the grave. Hesitantly, he reaches forward to place his hand against the cool stone...

This is probably a bad idea! ]

iii. I scream, You scream

[ After that it doesn't take long to get back to the town and to food and people and the ice cream shop. It's easily one of the more crowded locations he's come across, full of people who seem just as confused as he feels. But he might as well see what this place has to offer, right? And what it has to offer is ice cream.

Which sounds delicious, mind you. And there's options to choose from too. He winds up with a double scoop of chocolate.

... which is how you might find him sitting out on the curb, knees curled to his chest and hand pressed over his mouth to stifle his sobs. Someone passes him by and he shakes his head if they stop. ]

I--I'm sorry.

[ Yeah, he doesn't know what's wrong either. ]

wildcard

[ idk hit me with another prompt if you'd like, or drop me a line on plurk dyads ]

ice cream

[dathomirs]

[ Merrin is still carrying her own half-eaten cup of ice cream when she spots a familiar figure through her own tears that refuse to obey reason. In fact, so great is her relief that she actually cries harder as she sits on the curb next to Cal and immediately throws her arms around him in an enthusiastic, if graceless, hug. ]

Cal! I am so relieved to find you here. I don't know what's wrong. I was just eating delicious ice cream and suddenly everything was awful!

[ At least she's found her Jedi? She's very confused, and her reaction to her own confusion seems to be trying to squeeze the life out of him while weeping inconsolably. ]