To infinity...and beyond? (Semi-open)

[astrogator]

Who: Ari Tayrey + willing CR + anyone else who wants in
What: Mini-plot: an expedition to determine what kind of infinite this store really is
When: 25-29??? November
Where: The Infinite Tommy Bahama
Warnings: None yet
Notes: First prompt is a text message sent to Ari's friendly-ish CR - replies are welcome even from people who don't want to take part! Other prompts are open but please note that participating characters will potentially be in the store for up to 4/5 days. Party post rules are fine, start your own toplevels and tag people other than Ari if you like. ((I checked with our lovely mod about what would happen if they tried this!))



1. Texting

I have a plan. I want to see just how infinite this Tommy Bahama is. Multi-day expedition for data collection? It could be informative. Maybe fun, too. Interested in coming along?

- Tayrey

2. Preparing

Even people who don't know Ari well may notice that something is up. It's not often that people walk into Tommy Bahama wearing backpacks full of supplies. There's some last-minute preparation going on here, as well as a last-minute opportunity to join the expedition. Expect Ari to want to check and make sure everyone has all the essentials with them. She's used to preparing for trips to uninhabited and potentially hostile planets, and it shows. Don't mind the fussing. She wouldn't do it if she didn't care.

3. Exploring

Despite all the promises, the expedition is - well, boring might be an accurate description, unless you're really invested in the outcome. There's a lot of walking past the same racks of clothes, over and over and over. Infinite length doesn't mean infinite variety.

Ari's fascinated, and she'll be chattering about loop programming to anyone who will listen, and attempting to measure the distance between one rack of garishly-patterned bikinis and the next iteration of that very same rack. She'll encourage tests, too - what happens if you completely destroy one of the displays? Is the destruction repeated? (Spoiler alert: no, it's not that kind of loop, but let's try it a few times anyway and make sure?)

Maybe you give up and head back after a few hours. Maybe you have a run-in with the Bahamanal. Maybe you join in with Ari's ridiculous spacer song singalong - she is in a good mood. It's Tommy Bahama, anything could happen.

4. Relaxing

Ari pushes the pace on the first day, because it comes naturally to do so, and possibly, subconsciously, to weed out anyone who isn't serious about this and is going to cause them problems once they're a long way in. Eventually, though, it's time to stop for the night. There's not a campfire, but it's a fine social occasion just the same. Ari's brought some Serena Eterna branded playing cards, and she's up for a little gambling. Maybe you have some other entertainment ideas. Don't stay up too long, though - see if you can't make a nice nest of clothes to bed down in. There's plenty of walking to do tomorrow.

5. Emerging

Plenty of data has been collected about the repeating displays, but there's no end in sight to this store. Is it really infinite? If there's a way to answer that question, this expedition won't do it. It's over two days in when the group realises that they're over halfway through the supplies they brought. Time to turn around, whether that leaves you disappointed or delighted.

Unfortunately, there are no tricks of perception or proportion here. It'll take just as long to walk out as it did to walk in. Look on the bright side, at least you're carrying less weight? Finally, on the fifth day, the intrepid explorers who stayed the distance catch sight of the store entrance up ahead. Who saw it first?

6. Wildcard

Anything else you want to do! (Just let me know if I need to add warnings to the header :) )

Comments

[konpeito_aji]

"Exactly."

It is definitely both. And Nobunaga cheerfully mimes bonking someone to death with a hammer with his free hand and the spear.

"Maxwell must go free!" he sings in falsetto OH SO CHEERFULLY.

Are you rethinking your love at all?

"It's your turn again." To sing something not sexy. This is the challenge now. New contest. And Nobunaga gets out the art markers to mark a spot on the floor, fruitless as it probably is.

[busball]

Yes, actually. They are no longer in love. Rip to you. Bye forever!!!

Just kidding. They are still somehow hopelessly devoted to an idiot.

God. Something not sexy. Okay, he’s got this. He’s just gonna sing All Star by Smashmouth. It’s totally an acceptable choice.

[konpeito_aji]

Nobunaga bops along again, and actually joins in a little. His exceptional memory has been put to use on music for the large part of the last 3 months, and this is what he has to show for it.

"All that glitters is gold," it's funny because again, it's very not true. The saying is the opposite. But Nobunaga assumes that's on purpose, and that it's a strong message about you can turn even infertile ground like Owari's barren sandy soil into treasure luxury if you try hard enough. "Only shooting stars break the mold."

[busball]

Klaus didn’t even know he knew the song??? It’s cute in a weird way. They are frustrated by how adorable their boyfriend fucking is.

Just to be vaguely annoying and also break the rules, he only sings a short snippet of Genie in a Bottle. “I’m a genie in a bottle, you gotta rub me the right way.” They punctuate this by sticking their tongue out like a child.

[konpeito_aji]

Everyone knows the song! Even the 16th century warlord from the extremely isolated Japan.

A head tilt, and now it's Nobuanga's turn to pout. "I don't know that one." Shaaaaaaare.

[busball]

“No.” A beat. “Okay, fine, but it’s definitely a sexy song.”

[konpeito_aji]

"Every song is sexy when you sing it," all the pouting.

[busball]

"Just remember you asked for it." Klaus stares at him for a long moment, lowering his voice so no one else can hear because no one needs to hear him singing this song.

[konpeito_aji]

Nobunaga is totally helping by dancing as he walks.

And grins at Klaus about blowing kisses. He can't do it now. He can't, but his grin says he wishes he was that bold. When he gets stronger.

"You know my goal is to free everyone here. Even the ghosts. Am I rubbing you the right way to let you out?"

It's ridiculous how he can say shit like this WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS AT ALL, no blushing, not flustered, but get him on something nonsexual and then it's a problem.

[busball]

Klaus laughs softly. “Oh, you’re definitely rubbing the right way, buddy.”

[konpeito_aji]

"I'm a genie in a bottle," he sings softly. "I will keep rubbing you the right way~" mufufufu.

"What is a genie? I've never heard this term before."

[busball]

"It's like...a mythical...something? Uh. They grant wishes...but they live in a lamp! Not like a light lamp. But like...it's like...do you know what a gravy boat is? Like that, but with a little lid and then it's trapped in there. Like in Aladdin. One day we'll watch it."

[konpeito_aji]

"I want to watch Aladdin. With Princess Jasmine, yeah." But he's baffled by the rest.

"I do not know what a gravy boat is. Does it float in gravy? Why?? But China and Egypt have shell lamps. India must. And ships have lanterns for signaling, but you are saying it is different? Why do the genies live inside lamps? Are they made of light? A type of youkai?"

[busball]

"I have so little capabilities to explain things right now." He's not really sure what any of that means and it hurts his head. "Just...it's just a fancy home...that's also kind of like a prison. Not a real gravy boat. It's just what you call a thing that hold gravy." They sigh. "Cause they're forced to live in the lamps and no. They are not made of light. They just have power to grant their master wishes." A beat. "What is a youkai?"

[konpeito_aji]

"Why are they imprisoned? And granting wishes?"

Weird.

"Youkai are Japanese spirits. Sort of related to demons, but not as evil. Either they work for the gods, supposedly, you know I don't believe in that, or they're just forces of nature. The most obvious one is kitsune. Multi-tailed foxes who work for Inari. They are tricksters and cunning. Mitsuhide is like a kitsune. He even has a pet fox, Chimaki. Other youkai... let me think..." A quiet hum. "Kappa are turtle-frogs that have a bowl of water in the tops of their heads. If you can get them to bow, they spill out, and then you can get them to return home, or defeat them by replenishing it. Tanuki are also tricksters. They like to just party. Most youkai do. Mermaids will grant you immortality at a curse if you eat one. Oh! Tsuchigumo are giant spiders. There was a legend about how you shouldn't let wives of daimyo commit hari kari or seppuku because it's a trick to let out all the spiders in their stomachs."

He is a five year old gremlin brat clearly.

[busball]

"Who would eat a mermaid?" Why is this the thing that Klaus chooses to focus on at this point? Well, he doesn't know. But that seems rude and impolite. Is it cannibalism? Eating fish? A mixture? What the hell? "Hope no one tries to eat me if I ever become a mermaid somehow." A beat. "In a cannibalism way." A beat. "Wait. How do mermaids fuck?" Because this is clearly the question. The realest question.

"Ew. The rest of that...I wish I knew less about." Oh right. He didn't answer the question. "Ummm...I don't know all the reasons. But like...cause they have to? I dunno. It's weird."

[konpeito_aji]

"Idiots. Or if they're starving. Mermaids don't reproduce. In this, they are like demons. They corrupt others, humans, and then eat the humans who've been fed mermaid. It's a whole big half-cannibalism mutual, but not really consenting circle. Of death." Waggles fingers. He doesn't even know the story of Ariel, but he wouldn't feel guilty for ruining it either.

"I do not understand the rules of spirits."

[busball]

Klaus frowns at this knowledge. This is less sexy fun than he wanted. "I'm surprised that I- No. Wait. No, I'm not. Disney would never do this to me. Of course I'd prefer it." They are making a face about it for sure.

"Does anyone?"

[konpeito_aji]

All the question marks. Nobunaga has nobidea what Klaus is talking about.

"I assume the gods and other spirits. Like maybe Amaterasu and Yato."

[busball]

“There’s a mermaid movie. And no one is eating anyone.” A frown. “I’m pretty sure the ghost that possessed you was someone from that movie, too. Which is the weirdest shit ever.”

Klaus shrugs. “Who?”

[konpeito_aji]

"That is weird. I don't believe in mermaids or kraken, or dragons. They say oar fish are dragons though, so... eh. But they're just oar fish. Big long eel looking fish. Unagi. But having a mermaid movie where nobone gets eaten seems like having a pirate movie without stabbing. They're probably doing it wrong."

The world according to Nobunaga.

"Amaterasu is the sun goddess mother of Japan. She is a wolf dog who is across the hall from Deputy Pratt, but she sleeps a lot. Yato accidentally on purpose somehow returned one of the ghosts' bodies. Chase. He says he didn't do it, but I think his future self must have, and then sent Chase back in time to here to where it would count. Yato's a God of fortune. So I will spread his word. Gospel? Gospel. You should too. Apparently it powers them up. God rules are weird. Like why Amaterasu can do some things but not others. Everyone acts like, 'oh the gods are just too complicated for mortals to understand,' but that's not true. They're just usually useless."

Again: the world according to Nobunaga.

[busball]

"I mean, would I be surprised if they were real? No. No, I would not." But they've never seen evidence about it. "But also I like that movie sort of. Even if it's weird sometimes."

Klaus listening to this is just like...okay? He doesn't remember anyone named Yato. They've met Yato, but...alas. Very little memory. "I don't...even know these people? But like...sure?"

[konpeito_aji]

"Then I hope I can watch with them with you so you can explain them to me. My guide through your era."

A small frown. "You should meet them. They are both from my lands. But as gods, it's different, but still... definitely meet them. Ah but I told Yato my ambition here, so it's not a big deal, because I don't need help looking after you. But even so..." a nod. "It's important."

He gently reaches out his hand to take Klaus'.

[busball]

"I hope so!" Probably plenty of things to watch that he doesn't mind explaining. "But probably only if it's just us cause if there's a lot of people watching, they might get annoyed with a lot of questions. But if it's just us, you can ask questions while we're watching."

Klaus laces their fingers together, humming happily as they do. "Yeah. Well, maybe I'll look out for them. What do they look like?" Not that they'll actually remember anything likely, but they don't know that.

[konpeito_aji]

"What if I whisper the questions?"

People would probably get annoyed watching movies with Klaus and Nobunaga because not even gods know how well they will resist having sex during any random given points!

"Amaterasu is the SUN!" Yes. "Also a white wolf dog here. Wolf in Japanese is okami. Women's names are formal with O beginning for the royal court. Kami means god. So she's a wolf goddess. It's funny, right? You'd get along great. She's the mother of Japan. I thought I was at war with her, but Oichi, my sister, said she was probably always helping me. Once I met her... I guess so! She wants the best for Nippon, and she thinks humans rely too much on gods and it can make them weak and helpless, and they should just do what they want and have fun. So I no longer think I have to fight her. She lives across the hall from Deputy Pratt. So if you see her you can bring her food and thank her for looking after my country." A beat. "And me."